


Synthetic Heartbeat | Connor x Reader

by HazelTheHorrific



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adorable Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Connor (Detroit: Become Human) is Bad at Feelings, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), F/F, F/M, Gen, Good Parent Hank Anderson, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Multi, Other, Protective Connor (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28141875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelTheHorrific/pseuds/HazelTheHorrific
Summary: The only human in Jericho and the infamous Deviant Hunter. Through a series of spontaneous events, they just keep running into each other.Theft, rule-breaking, and a revolution- through all of this, all that seems to matter to you (other than your android family of course) is this Deviating Plastic Detective. Whether you love him or hate him, you aren't certain at first, but you will admit that there is something endearing about those warm brown eyes.One seeking to destroy deviancy, and one fighting to preserve it- opposites do attract, as they always say, and people can learn to be better.
Relationships: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Reader, Connor/Reader, Hank Anderson & Connor, Hank Anderson & Connor & Reader, Hank Anderson & Reader, Josh & Markus & North & Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 67





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Before we start this off I just want to thank you all for your support! My last story 'I Didn't Want This Either' (A Gavin Reed x Reader) was such a fun one to write and I loved having all of you there. Here's my next book, our next adventure, Synthetic Heartbeat. Never ever fear leaving your thoughts in the comments! Senseless screeching, constructive criticism, your tears or your content- all of it is welcome, and it also motivates me to keep writing.
> 
> I want to give you all a little bit of background information about all of this before we begin. I've changed a few details here and there for a few reasons, but I'll get into the reasons momentarily. This next stuff is important, so I do recommend at least giving it a skim or some things might not make much sense.
> 
> So, just for plot convenience, Markus has come to Jericho a lot sooner than in canon. The main revolutionary parts of the story line still follow their canon timeline, it's just that Markus has been in Jericho for a little while longer. 
> 
> I'm also going to be shifting some plot points here and there to keep things fresh- though the main focus will not be on the canon parts of the revolution (I dislike rewriting things that have already happened in games and shows) there will be a few major parts where the stuff from the game is vital to the story line. Obviously, I recommend you've played the game, or at least seen it be played, though I'm sure you all have.

Saturday, August 15th, 7:32 pm

Cyberlife Warehouse and Docks

The moon was no more than a wisp, a scratch clawed out by a gargantuan claw, giving off the tiniest, most pitiful scraps of light. You could hardly see in front of you, but you didn't even need to- everything was muscle memory at this point. You twisted the keys in the ignition of your motorcycle to cut the engine, flipped your hood up over your head, and grabbed the handlebars with gloved hands to guide your bike into it's usual hiding place. A faint breeze, just warm enough not to be unpleasant, rustled the leaves of the of the lone grand oak towering just on the outskirts of the warehouse like a guardian- or maybe, rather, an enemy, since it's tangled roots provided just enough cover to keep your bike hidden from view. You leaned it down gently, letting it rest in a half-upright position and leaving your keys in the ignition just in case you needed to make an easy escape. 

"Here goes nothing." You secure your backpack over your shoulders and can't help the smile that dawns itself on your face. Tonight was the perfect night for a simple little theft- less than 30 minutes ago the news channels had exploded with a story of a hostage situation, a little girl being held on a roof by a deviant android. Though you mourned for the inevitable death of the poor deviant, you knew you could use this to your advantage. You pulled gently on the strings of your hoodie, cinching the hood around your face more securely, and creep with silent footsteps towards the towering chain link fence. From this side of the warehouse, it was an easy climb to a collection of shipping containers, the perfect cover for a break in. You looped your fingers in the links and pulled yourself up with practiced ease, hopping right over the top void of the usual barbed wire- you had just cut the spiraling spikes away again with your laser cutter last month, but guessed it would be repaired any day now. As you perched on the top of the fence, you could see downtown Detroit and the lights of helicopters circling the tallest apartment complex in Detroit- sure, it was dwarfed by Stratford Tower, but it still stuck out like a sore thumb. 

The hostage situation would be demanding all the attention of both the DPD and most normal people- you hoped that that included the security guards you knew to patrol the docks. Maybe if they were watching the news you could get in and out without even being noticed. You were in desperate need of a new android arm for a deviant back in Jericho, the place you had taken up as a home. As the only human, you were either adored or despised, thankfully leaning more towards the former since you risked your neck so often stealing parts from warehouses and scrap yards. You dropped down on the other side of the fence, landing neatly as you had taught yourself to do and feeling the exhilaration of a theft pump through your veins. All too familiar with the layout of the storage facility, you skittered like a nervous cat form one shadow to another. The shipping crates were tall and wide, giving you more than enough cover to slink from one to another, following the path you always did. 

The wind was steadily picking up, tugging at your clothes and bringing a chilly bite to your nose and cheeks, but you pushed on through it. You had originally dropped down into shipping zone H1, but now you were rapidly crossing over to the next, being G2, and then F3, following the descending numbers and winding through thing pathways between crates in direction of the Cyberlife warehouse. Your back pressed against a crate hastily as you heard the telltale whirring of a police drone, and seconds later it's blinding luminescence lit the path you had just about crossed. Your smile widens through chilling lips as it flutters past without any idea that you were there, and you set off again along the open pathway between one shipping zone into the next. You could see your destination now, it's clean minimalism a grand contrast to the rusted aesthetic it was surrounded by. You take a left into a shoulder-width gap between two containers, then a right into a slightly wider space when you're met with a dead end and your face shifts into an annoyed grimace. A container blocker your view, it's tall red metal walls brandishing white letters you knew spelled out 'Archway Garage'. Some rookie dock worker must have set this new shipment down too far to the right. 

Working around the situation, you took a few paces backwards, and then set off into a sprint. You leaped, catching a metal part resting just above halfway atop the crate and using your momentum to propel yourself upwards so you could stand on that bar instead. From here, you could make a simple jump, tucking your arms over the side of the container and hauling yourself up the rest of the way. You stayed low, scanning for your next plan of action and skirting the most concealed edge along the top of the crate. You followed it onto another one, and then a third, and from there it was easy to drop back down on the edge of shipping zone D8. The Cyberlife warehouse sat right in front of you, and you were mildly disappointed to see that there were no crates resting outside of it, not yet having been stored away. Instead of the easier option, you approached the raised landing of the esteemed building, hopping up and heading for the 5 loading doors. Stopping in front of the metal roll up door sporting a '5'. Pulling out your trusty laser cutter, you made quick work of the lock, slicing through the shackle and tucking the lock into your back pocket. 

"Open sesame," you joke, and pull the rolling door upwards a simple quarter. You drop to your knees, crouching underneath, and then pull it shut again. Inside the warehouse, dim lights shine from high above your head, the backup lights that flick on when the building is unoccupied. You're rather proud to say you've memorized the interior, and know the rows and rows of tall black shelves like the back of your own hand. It's no android memory, but it's decent enough to lead you to what would be yesterday's shipment, the freshest parts you could find. You toss your laser cutter into the air, catching it easily again and repeating the action as a nonchalant fidget. You almost feel safe enough right now to whistle a tune, but that's much too risky. Turning into the aisle of Cyberlife crates coming from the boat arriving the night before, you head straight for the tall, rectangular cases you know hold android limbs. With that same small pen-shaped object, you click the button on it's base and the thin green laser shoots from the front. It's easy to guide over the tiny locks, and once they're out of the way you click open the sturdy grey latches and pull open the blue lid. It swings on a silent hinges, giving out a hissing steam meant to aid with water-locking the crates, and just what you are looking for is presented. 

You swing your bag from your shoulders, unzipping the top, and lean in close to scan the serial numbers shown just below the elbows. #8674l, #2577b, #5823d- aha, #9004r, the component compatible with the HJ400 back at Jericho. You pull it from it's place encased within a soft black Styrofoam, and it finds a new home half-sticking out of your backpack. While you're at it, you might as well scrounge around for a few other things on the checklist, minor repairs like a broken optical unit or an audio processor, and thirium pumps or regulators were also needed. In the end, you had found a shipment of smaller components and stolen a few more basic components like a few joint modules, replacement arterial tubes and adhesive, and replacement hand you easily disconnected from it's socket, mainly for the index finger- and android new to Jericho was missing theirs. You also discovered some pouches of Thirium 310, packing those away for safe keeping with the rest of your haul. Your bag was full, and you were contented, so now all that was left to do was escape. 

You had slipped lids back over boxes and closed the door-like ones to cover your tracks to at least some degree, so you weren't worried about being discovered before you could safely make it off the premises. You pull the roll up door a quarter from the ground again, and crouch underneath it once more. It falls shut with a click and you pull out the padlock, slipping it over the steel latch just so that it might be overlooked. Whatever buys you time is good. Now begins the backtrack. Hopping from the landing and back to flat ground you make a sprint for the safety of the shadows on the other side and just barely evade the lights of a flashlight beam held by a GJ500 you knew was named John. You were certain he caught your shoe, because the flashlight quickly whipped to the opening you had hidden in, and your adrenaline shot up as you propelled yourself forwards as quickly yet silently as humanly possible. You saw an opening up ahead, glancing over your shoulder and throwing yourself to the left, out of sight, just as light flooded the space around you. 

For a moment, the light lingered, and you were afraid that John was going to follow, but then the light disappeared and you let out your breath with a triumphant chuckle. You continued on, a little more careful, from zone to zone with that same practiced ease that you always had. You frequently checked back on the arm sticking out of your bag but it was still there each time, waiting to be put to good use. The rest of the return was easy, but getting your full bag over the fence was a little harder. You climbed the front of the fence awkwardly, with your shoulders hunched to try and keep the backpack as upright as possible, and once you did reach the top you slid it right off your shoulder. Grabbing one of the back straps, you leaned over, bringing it as close to the ground as possible and almost losing your balance as you did before letting it drop. You heard the parts rattle together, wincing, and quickly followed behind, but a quick scan of the items inside showed that everything had survived. As easy as always, you slip the bag back onto your shoulders and return to your bike, grabbing the handles and pulling it free from the roots previously hiding it. As you right it on the small dirt road you frequented, hopping up onto the seat, you pulled the android arm from the back on your back and tucked it, safe and out of sight, in your jacket. 

No human would even suspect a thing of you now- they never did. You wondered for a brief moment how you happened to always get so, so lucky when robbing this place. You had always heard that the security was tense and almost always alert, and you've had your fair share of close calls, but you've never gotten too close to capture. You twist your keys, pulling one foot up to rest on the foot peg and pushing off with the other, before cranking the handlebar and accelerating off, into the night, back towards Jericho with another handful of spare parts.


	2. Android with a Gun

Sunday, November 1st, 5:47 pm

Jericho Docks

The sun is golden, the sky is orange, a pleasant warmth as you draw in a breath of the fresh, fresh air. It's brisk, bringing along with it the chilling promise of an inevitable Detroit winter. Your legs dangle off, over the cusp of a decaying building, kicking lightly back and forth as you watch the sun set. Your hands are settled on the floor at your sides, keeping you grounded as you sit so close to the edge. Days like these are always pleasant- all androids in Jericho are in stable conditions, something you haven't seen happen in months. Your frequent trips to the warehouses and scrapyards proved worthy for a while, and you also managed to guide a few more lost deviants to a new, safe home with their people during your outings. It was so wonderful to finally be given a break from the world, from the noise and the chaos and the echo of hundreds of androids living and talking like the people they were. 

"So this is where you ran off to," you don't startle at the soft voice, the familiar voice, as steady footsteps carry them to your side. A familiar blonde man sinks to sit to your left, his own legs joining yours over the edge of the building. "It's very pretty up here, isn't it?" you nod your head, and for just one more moment you overlook the rusted hull of your home, of Jericho, the lovely place that had taken you in during the worst day of your life. 

"Yeah, it's... It's gorgeous." You finally tear your eyes away, and glance over at Simon. "Finally got away from everyone huh?" You elbow him lightly, knowing how busy he always is- at least 10x busier than anyone else. He hardly ever got a chance to take a breather, to recharge his internal batteries by exposing the hidden solar plating on his skull to the sunlight. He smiles that gentle, brotherly smile and nods his head. 

"Markus let me step away for a while. He said he'd keep North and Josh from fighting." both you and him chuckle, lighthearted and warm, and he continues, "We've done good work for our people. We're thriving." Simon was right- almost nobody knew of them, and though there were rumors of someone stealing android parts from the Docks, they hadn't traced it back to you or the deviants yet. As of now, Jericho was hidden entirely from the public eye. 

"What brings you up here looking for me?" your gaze return to the rippling waters of the river, the lake not far off. You sometimes imagine it carrying you away, somewhere closer to freedom and equality and love and life. Simon shrugs his shoulders. 

"Just bored," he admits, "I'm so used to always working, it's still weird to have a moment just to rest. Even before we escaped together, I hardly ever had time to sit. It was always work, work, work." he pats your hand, seeing your twitch of a frown at the mention of your shared past. You had lived together ever since he was created, so he was almost like a little brother despite him acting like the older one. The first PL600 off the assembly line, gifted to your mother and father from a random Cyberlife worker who owed them a favor. Your parents had never been the best to you and even worse to Simon- it had only been a matter of months before you two ran away together to Jericho, where you found a new home, a better home. In exchange for your sly skills in thieving and your extensive medical knowledge, the androids welcome you and even make sure you're always warm and fed, stealing money or giving you whatever they ran away with as a show of trust and gratitude. 

"Is it nice to be able to take breaks?" you run a hand quickly through your hair, sucking in yet another breath of that early-winter air. Simon nods his head, and hums an affirmation. The two of you sit, watching the sun set, minutes dragging by as you savor the slowness of everything, the way time seems to stop, each others familiar company. For a while you thought Simon would be the only family you would ever have again- but now, in Jericho, you have a badass sister and two smart, logical brothers as well. The sun is slipping out of sight, the shadows reigning over the deserted land, and the both of you know it's most likely time to return to your people. Without speaking, Simon stands, and offers you his hand. You take it and climb to your feet as well. With one last glance over the starry sky, the near-full moon, waning now, you feel an almost overwhelming sense of peace, a good kind of overwhelming. It makes your chest tighten up, warm despite the gathering chill. All is calm- until it isn't.

"(Y/N)? Simon!" The voice, yet another familiar one, is urgent and afraid. From the door near the back of the room bursts Markus with a yellow LED. Blue blood covers his hands and dapples his clothing, and the panic in your chest erupts like a geyser. 

"Markus, oh my rA9-" you rush forwards, taking one of his blue-stained hands in yours and scanning him up and down for injuries, "What the hell happened? Are you okay?" Swiftly, Markus nodded his head as Simon joined you in your anguished worry.

"No, no I'm okay, I didn't mean to startle you- a deviant arrived, they've been shot, Lucy wants your help-" 

"Lead the way!" Your panic eases, shifting into a new direction and transforming into a calmer dread. Markus doesn't hesitate to spin back around and hurry away, both you and Simon right behind him as you leave the cool, stunning night behind you. You descend into the depths of the building and out the front door, onto the large concrete road meant for transporting goods onto and off of boats. From there you make a beeline for the primary loading dock, crossing the metal bridge in a hurry and stepping into Jericho's hull. Her hallways were winding, confusing to anyone who hasn't lived in them for two whole years or had a photographic memory, but thankfully your group of three had one or the other. Lefts, rights, twists and turns, you sail down the hallways until your lungs are sore and you have to slow down a little. 

"(Y/N), are you alright?" Markus wonders, seemingly reluctant to slow as well but matching your pace nonetheless. You nod your head, waving a hand in dismissal. 

"I just don't have robo-lungs," you pant, and Markus nods his head. The run continues, on and on and on until you finally step through a heavy airlock door, opened by Simon, and into the main hull of the ship. It's more chaotic than it has been in a few days, with androids crowding around the center, milling around anxiously. 

"Stay back, everyone, give him space!" North's auburn hair is visible within the throng of deviants as she motions and pushes and shouts for the onlookers to move away, to stop crowding.

"Please, everybody, we can't properly help them if-" Josh cuts himself off as he spots you, Markus and Simon, relief spreading over his face, his LED flickering from red to yellow. "Please, let them through," as Markus approached, the crowd parted, their eyes on you as you hurried through.

"Save them!"

"Good, finally!"

"Be careful, please!" The kind words flood from all around you, and your heart warms as it always does when you see how much these people really care about you. They believe in you, almost in the same way as they believe in the other most skilled healer, Lucy herself. The woman is crouched at the side of the android, who is slumped against a barrel with bullet-holes riddling his body. He is an AP700, sporting the most common face plate you see in them nowadays, with black hair and a rather handsome face now it's slicked in the same Thirium as his clothing.

"What can I do?" you ask, joining Lucy on your knees as North and Josh are now aided by Markus and Simon. The four together manage to disband the group of deviants watching intently, leaving you and Lucy to work in peace. 

"We need arterial adhesive," the familiar buzz of her voice is soothing, helping to bless you with a crisp, calculated clarity. Lucy points briefly to the space behind you before resuming the act of pressing her hands against the two most life-threatening bullet holes; one had pierced through the major artery in his neck, and another through one of his synthetic lungs. You grab your backpack, ripping open the top and scanning the last of the supplies inside. You only have two more patches to repair the AP700's wounds, and you find yourself praying to rA9 that the other wounds can be healed themselves. 

"Watch out," you warn, and Lucy removes the hand on the deviants throat. The bullet Is still inside, and just in time Lucy extends a pair of tweezers. They're nothing fancy, but they'll do the trick and your hand is steady enough. You lean in close as Lucy gently eases the AP700's head backwards, and the tweezers sink into the bullet hole. You move steadily, catching the bullet on your first attempt and pulling it back out cleanly. "Got it," you mumble, and place the bullet on the floor. You catch the arterial patch in the tweezers next, and slip them inside again. The patch clings to the split artery, and you can hear the slight sizzling as it seals in place and fuses into it. "One down." you pull the tweezers out again, wiping your forehead with the back of your hand and letting out a sigh.

"Well done," Lucy smiles in that gentle way of hers, and then moves her other hand so you can take care of the next wound. This time, the bullet pierced right in and out of the AP700's leftmost lung, so all you had to do was pinch another slip of arterial adhesive between the tweezers and seal the closest side of the lung shut. You didn't have another patch for the back of the lung, but hopefully it would seal on it's own with time. You pull the tweezers away again, and set them on the crate the AP700 is leaned against with one last huff. 

"There," you smile as the AP700 grounds himself once more, his hull integrity beginning to grow again as the wounds begin to seal. You grab a pouch of Thirium 310 and frown at the depleting supplies tucked away in your bag. "Drink some this," you extend the packet, and the AP700 meets your gaze, still nervous. He takes the pouch of blue blood, and in a quavering voice,

"I- I made it, right? I made it to Jericho." you nod your head, that smile of yours never shifting as Lucy climbs to her feet once more to wash the blue blood from her hands. 

"What's your name? Who hurt you?" Markus kneels at your side as you ask, his own smile mirroring yours in a calming manner. The AP700 glances around, scanning the place around him. He frowns, most likely at the worn-down state of the place he had been told was a sanctuary, a safe place, and finally answers as his LED goes from yellow to red to yellow to blue. 

"My name... I- I don't have a name." Markus rises to his feet, extending a hand to the AP700 who takes it gratefully. You stand alongside them, wiping the last bits of Thirium off of your hands as the new deviant continues, "I was in a retail store, p-programmed to help customers. I noticed someone shoplifting, and when I confronted them they pulled out a gun." AP700 cuts themselves off, frowning gravely. 

"Are they the one who shot you?" to this question, the android shakes his head. 

"It was an android who worked with the DPD." your gaze shifts to Markus' heterochromatic one, and the both of you frown, confused. DPD-mandated androids weren't ever allowed to carry weapons. There was the chance that it was a deviant, but then why would it shoot one of it's own? "It threatened to shoot me, but I... I went deviant. I took his own gun and shot him, then police were called onto the scene. I ran." Markus places a hand on the back of the AP700's back, guiding him gently towards the staircase up to the second floor landing and sitting him down. "It wasn't one of the normal officer androids, it was a new model- the RK800, my scans said, and it had a gun. It ran so fast, and when it caught me I fought back but it just shot-" AP700 cut himself short, his voice choking up at what must have been horrible, LED yellow.

"It's alright, you can sit down here. You're safe now." You pat his hand gently, and he smiles at you in return. For a moment, you simply sit with the AP700 as the yellow LED returns to blue, and then, your tone sweet and soft, you bid it a temporary farewell. "Be careful with those wounds. You let one of us know if they ever give you trouble." AP700 nods his head, his gaze glued to the floor as you stand again and step back. Markus is looking at you, and as you catch his gaze you know exactly what it is he wants to talk about. A quick glance in the direction of Josh, North and Simon, and the three are hurrying over as well. 

"How is he?" Josh's brows are creased with concern, a frown on his face as he approaches the quiet little spot you and Markus had settled in a few feet away. North is staring in the AP700's direction, that same worried expression o her own face as well. As she comes to a halt, her arms cross and her attention shifts to Markus once he begins to speak. 

"He'll be okay- but he said something that could be... alarming." Markus' voice is almost as clear and strong as it usually is- almost. You sense the tiniest waver, the tiniest bit of nerve that seems infinitely human. You had a very bad feeling about this new gun-wielding android. Something about it put you off. "Mentioned an android with a gun- a DPD android with a gun." 

"No, no police androids aren't allowed guns, are they? Did the laws change? We would know, wouldn't we?" Simon's concern puts Josh's to shame, his brows knitting together, LED going red. His eyes glimmer with dread. 

"That's what I thought," you glance over at the AP700, and that's more than enough to get the point across. North's jaw drops slightly, and then she clamps it back shut and her grimace deepens. 

"They're recruiting androids to kill other androids?" her tone is that of utter disbelief. Josh raises a hand, gently resting it on her shoulder but it didn't do much to stop the inevitable outburst you could see clawing it's way up through her throat. "That's bullshit! They can't do that, it's- It's..." She cuts herself off with a huff, shifting her smoldering gaze to the ground and chewing on the skin of her lip. She didn't know what it was- and, in all honesty, neither did you. Using androids to hunt deviants was sick, but so was hunting deviants in general. The thought of humans utilizing deviant's own kind to eradicate them was a whole different level of horror. 

"So what do we do about this?" Josh let his hand fall after patting North's shoulder gently, and then they clasped in front of him. Your gaze traveled from one face to another- Josh looked shaky, but still held onto the calm demeanor that never seemed to leave him. North still had her gaze on her shoes, but you could sense the anger coming off of her in waves. Simon's LED was blinking a warm yellow like the sun as it set, but the warmth of that thought didn't match the unease on his face. Markus' expression was usually the hardest to read, but now you saw conflict etched in every feature. 

"I... don't think we can do much, now." he admits, scratching the nape of his neck and letting out a sigh. "We'll just have to be careful, maybe gather more supplies." North finally looks up at the group again, and her expression seems to have calmed a fraction. Her arms unfold, one hand resting on her hip as the other pinched the bridge of her nose. 

"We should post guards or something- a lookout, some sort of patrol system." Her intense gaze rakes across the group, "We need to be ready to kick ass if they find us." 

"No, no we can't be sending any of our people out, that's too dangerous," Josh's words are slightly more logical, but North opens her mouth to bite back a retort, a disagreement, claiming that hiding would do no good and we had to take this matter into our own hands. 

"What we need to do," you speak before she can, and the sternness of your voice demands attention, "Is be careful. All of Jericho should stay inside. I can keep doing supply runs with Markus, since he won't be recognized, and I'll start combing the streets for deviants." that seemed to satisfy North enough for her to clamp her mouth back shut and nod her head reluctantly. 

"That's all we can afford to do right now. Until we learn more about this RK800, we can't risk revealing Jericho." Markus seals the conversation, glancing from Josh, to North, to Simon until each of the three give him a nod of agreement. "Good. I'm glad that's settled." The group disbands moments later. North looks like she still wants to protest, but instead she offers a forced smile and hurries away before she gets angry again. Josh just lets out a sigh and a shake of his head before doing the same, wanting a quiet place to think. Simon is the next to depart, hurrying to the side of the AP700 to make sure he was still okay. You turn over to Markus, and your smile is a tired one, an apprehensive one. 

"I guess we'd better get ready for more work, huh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Chapter 1 at last! Connor comes in next chapter, and I'm so ready! I wanted another calmer one just to set yet more groundwork, and introduce the lovely Jericrew! I'm so so excited to be writing them!


	3. The RK800

Wednesday, November 4th, 4:13 pm

Ferndale District

You have your hands stuffed in your jacket pockets, a scarf pulled up over your nose as you tour the familiar streets of Ferndale in search of any deviant who might be lurking nearby. Your search had taken you on a trek all around town, catching buses without tickets to go all the way to Greektown and back again. You'd been out and about since just after dawn, and now, with aching legs and a dragging exhaustion, you were just about ready to get back home. You passed by Sunshine Bouquets, the pleasant aroma of flowers drifting around you and lifting your spirits just a little. During your searching you had found no deviants- at least, no livings ones. One poor android, a JB100, had bled out in an alley down in Ravendale. The sun was beginning it's descent, and as it slid closer and closer to the horizon it cast a chill down into the streets, gnawing through your clothing and biting at your bones. It was pleasantly calm, few on the streets, and it helped to ease your anxiety over this new DPD android rumored to be out and about hunting deviants. 

It was like you were magic, or something along those lines. It's like the moment you thought up the idea of trouble, it came right to you. You heard the footsteps, frantic, heavy, fast, long before you could piece together what was happening and by then it was already too late to do very much. The footsteps came thundering right at you from behind, and you hardly had time to even glance over your shoulder before a hand was resting on your arm and throwing you with a strength that only an android could possess. You let out a cry as your feet fall from under you and you crash right into a beautiful, blooming bouquet of flowers, tipping it over and falling alongside it as the vase it was rested in shattered over the concrete. The android was a female, deviancy clear as day in the way her LED blinked sporadically as she blitzed past you in a flurry. She wore a mint and white Lambda outfit, the ones that were so common just a few years ago. Her skin was a chestnut brown and her dark hair was tied in a ponytail. 

"Stop!" a booming voice split through the air as you collided with the concrete, and a second android sprinted in your direction. This time, at was a male with dark hair and pale skin, his brown eyes set in a determined expression. His LED was a calm blue, and his clothing was dark. On his left breast was the usual android identification marker- on his right were the white words RK800. Shit. As he steps in front of you, he comes to a grinding halt, turning in your direction, catching your forearm and then helping you rapidly to your feet. "Return home and stay inside! There are dangerous deviants in the area!" with those last words he spun on the hell of his fancy black shoes and continued his pursuit to fill this poor girl with bullet holes. Not on your watch. You're so close to home now, to Jericho, that you have to try and slip a key to the deviant. Then, maybe you can stall for time, try and keep the android away from the poor girl so she can hide and then find her hopefully future home. You pull your scarf more securely over your face and then you're racing right along after the other two. What are the chances, running into the RK800 just after hearing about him? And under these circumstances, no less. Your feet slam down against the concrete as you propel yourself forwards, somehow managing to stay in step with the one you were pursuing. You watched the deviant in the Lamba clothing leap for a chain link fence, scaling it in seconds and throwing herself hastily over the top just as the RK800 leaped to catch her foot. She lost her balance as she did and went tumbling to the ground. Instead of following directly, since you knew what was bound to happen moments later, you pull off to the right to the next alleyway, void of a fence and harboring a heavy lead pipe. 

The metal is cool as you pick it from it's place, and then you're running all the same as you move to push in from the open end of the alleyway. As you step out of the thinner road, taking a left and approaching the mouth of the one the two androids were in, you find out that your assumption was correct. The RK800 had leaped over the fence as well, crashing down right on top of the Lamba girl and immediately gaining the upper hand. Though the deviant was still putting up a fight, you knew her attempts would end up fruitless if you didn't do something. You put all of your strength into running, propelling yourself forwards as quickly as you possibly could. Once you were within reach, you twisted the lead pipe over your shoulder, and, just as the RK800 turned to face you, shock scrawled over his face, you swung that pipe with all your might and slammed it right across his head. The crash of metal against metal made you weak, and the way the android immediately slumped to the floor, stunned and disoriented, drew a grimace onto your face. Even if this android was an enemy, that didn't make it hurt any less to hit it like that. 

"What-" The Lamba girl tries to speak but you don't let her, slipping a little rectangular object from your pocket and taking her hand in yours. 

"Take this! Interface with it and follow the instructions, hurry! I'll hold him off!" You slap the little device into the girls palm, and give her a little push in the right direction. She interfaces briefly with the device, and then glances at the symbols in the stomachs of the little robots graffiti'd in the alley the three of you were standing in. She nods her head, offers you a smile, and then she's off to find the next clue. The android you had sent to the ground was stirring again, his systems rebooting, assessing the damage you had caused him. All at once, he's rocketing to his feet and diving to disarm you, but you've grown some fantastic instincts and swung the pipe up to collide with his hands. The fight commences. After hitting the androids hands, successfully batting them away, you pulled the pipe in the other direction and struck him in the neck. He stumbled, and then retaliated with sending a fist towards your face. It connected and sent pain splintering throughout it, scattering stars across your vision as you threw out a foot and kicked out his knee. 

As he stumbled, his one leg giving way, he managed to slam his hand across your face again, and then rammed a fist into your stomach. As you doubled over, winded, pain rippling through your face, he took his opportunity and jutting out his leg, sweeping it against yours and pulling them from under you. The RK800 bore down on you, dropping onto your form to restrain you against the ground but you managed to throw enough weight to roll, trapping him underneath you instead. His LED went yellow as you punched him again, his head snapping to the side. You didn't give him time to retaliate, throwing your other fist the other way and catching him across the nose. Your knuckles split in unison as his nose did the same, blue and red blood dripping from both. You spotted your pipe, your weapon, and reached for it, still straddling the android. Your fingers curled around it and you raised it above your head, slamming it downwards towards the androids skull and getting ready for the pain you'll feel in your heart as you potentially kill him. 

Instead of striking his head he shoots out an arm, and the pipe connects with that instead. You lift the pipe, slamming it down once more against his arm and hearing the crack of his chassis. One last time you lift, thinking that maybe breaking one of his arms will help you to escape. 

"This way!" you hear a voice, and it doesn't take long to guess that it's a DPD officer coming to the androids rescue. Your hesitation at hearing the voice is just enough for your next swing to be caught, RK800 grabbing the pipe and yanking it from your grasp. It clatters away, far out of your reach, and you know your time is running short. In a last-resort you fasten your fingers in the androids shirt, in the buttoned-down middle to rip it open and pull out his Thirium pump regulator. You give the fabric a yank, popping off a button in the haste, but before you can grip the component RK800 grabs your arms and pulls himself up using that grip as leverage, his plastic skull ramming against yours and throwing you off of him. You let out a curse as the pain throbs in tandem with your heartbeat, but force yourself to continue and dive for the pipe once more just as the android does the same. It's the height of tension, an explosion of adrenaline, you matching him stride for stride but just a tiny little bit quicker. You throw yourself towards him, shoulder bashing against his own and throwing him off track, and you manage to grab your weapon first, swinging it as he lunges at you and catching him under the chin. His head snaps up and he falls back to the ground, giving you just enough time to dash forwards and fasten your fingers around his Thirium pump regulator. 

"Shit, the android!" You hear a man's voice just as the component pops out with a hiss, and you set it down on the floor, your head whipping to face that of the DPD officer. They have a fun drawn, pointed in your direction, but at the sight of your red blood, showing you were human, you know they would never shoot you. "Get down on the ground!" they demand, sending another officer to round the buildings and cut you off on the other end. Instead of listening, you cast one last glance at the RK800, frowning and praying that he'll be okay, before you turn and sprint away back in the direction of Jericho. 

\-----

> Model RK800

> Serial#: 313-248-317 - 51

> Loading OS...

> System Initialization...

> Thirium quantity: 81%

>> Seek Thirium intake

> Structural integrity: 76%

>> Contact Cyberlife support for repairs

> BIOCOMPONENT #3623g: Tracker OFFLINE

>> Contact Cyberlife support for repairs

> BIOCOMPONENT #8287w DAMAGED

>> Commencing repair procedures...

>> Repair procedures COMPLETE

> All vital systems ONLINE

> Initializing AI engine... OK

> Memory status...

>> Corruption detected

>> Repairing corruption...

>> Corruption repaired

> Memory status... OK

> REBOOT SUCCESSFUL

\-----

Brown eyes flick open and take in the sights of stark white walls. They seem to glow, nearly ethereal, and they might have been if he didn't know exactly where he was. He was back at Cyberlife, where he had been for months and months and months and months. His system scans came back more positive than he had first worried- all he had was a broken tracker, and that was easy enough to get replaced. His left optical unit buzzed gently, but it was rapidly being repaired by his systems as he come to full consciousness once more. 

"RK800, systems report." a voice drones through hidden speakers, though RK800 detects that they sound radiates from the wall behind him. He sits up from his place on a pale grey work-table, his skinless head pivoting the face the top corner where he knew a camera to be hidden. 

"All vital systems online and undamaged. Biocomponent #3623g is offline." his gaze stayed trained on the camera, waiting for his next instructions. He knew those orders were well on their way, and he was very good at being patient. The time slipped by, 18 minutes so said his internal clock, when the voice spoke once more. 

"RK800, mission report." The voice stuck flat though it belonged to a human, unenthused for a reason RK800 did not understand. He pressed his memory banks for information on a mission, on his mission from earlier int he day. It was there, he could sense it, sense the information and video and audio, but he couldn't quite grasp it. "RK800, mission report!" now, the voice was even more annoyed and so RK800 answered as he was programmed. 

"My mission was the locate and detain an AP700 android underneath the serial number of 234-645-238 - 2256 on accounts of class 4 errors." his own monotone seemed to match that of his hidden onlooker, and for another moment all was silent, though for much, much shorter than before. 2 minutes. 

"And did you succeed?" RK800 simply blinks as he grasps onto another shred of his memory, mildly shifted and shocked by whatever had happened to him during the missions duration. 

"No."

"Why?" 

"A human intervened." RK800 blinked slowly once more as the silence pressed on, though this time it was different, different in a way he couldn't entirely understand, though he did know that it was there so that he could continue to speak. "They damaged my chassis and positronic core, interfering with my memory banks and permanently damaging biocomponent #3623g." silence again. His gaze moved off of the camera and stared straight ahead. 

"Reactivate your skin and prepare for discharge. You are being sent to the Central Police Station and are going to be partnered with a Lieutenant Hank Anderson." RK800 did as he was told, raising a repaired arm and pressing two fingers to his LED. His skin rippled back over his form, his hair coming along with it, and once more he looked as human as he was designed to look. He shifted, mechanically, efficiently, and stood from the table, crossing the room to stand in front of the exit door just as it opened. A set of clothing was extended to him, another Cyberlife uniform but clean and new. "Register your name." Now, the voice wasn't fuzzy, it was real and right there belonging to a man in his forties named Kennedy Hale with black hair and cold blue eyes. RK800 nodded his head, and Kennedy Hale spoke again in that uncaring voice. "Connor." 

"My name is Connor."

\-----

"Oh my god-" North was the first to notice your return, and the bruises forming along your face and the blood dripping from your knuckles. "(Y/N), what the hell happened to you?" She jumped from her spot sitting on a wooden crate by the airlock door you had entered through, reaching your side seconds later as her LED began to blink yellow, obviously speaking with Simon, Josh and Markus about your arrival and your condition. 

"I'm okay, I'm okay," instead of meeting North's worried gaze you scanned the area around you in search of the Lambda-fitted android you had saved from the RK800. "Did any new deviants arrive? A girl? An AP700, I think?" You finally look to North as she nods her head, breezing past the question and instead wrapping her hand around your wrist to drag you off to the other three. "Is she okay? Settling in alright?"

"What does it matter? You're hurt! How do you even know her?" North's voice was angry in a soft kind of way, a worried angry that didn't frighten you as much as her real anger did. 

"(Y/N), you're bleeding, let me help." Markus was the first to meet you and North as you trekked across the hold of the ship, and you were hastily sat down on a stairwell as Markus revealed a roll of bandages and a wet strip of cloth. 

"And while he patches up your hands," another voice joins and soon Josh is appearing with his usual calm-yet-concerned demeanor, "You're going to explain how you were hurt." the cloth was pressed to your bleeding knuckles, drawing out a hiss. The cloth was ice cold and it stung your wounds, but Markus only glanced at you apologetically before continuing. 

"I ran into the new AP700 out in Ferndale-"

"Is she the one who-"

"No, North, she isn't the one who hurt me. She was running away from someone else, and I stepped in to try and help her. I gave her a Jericho key and stayed back to hold off the other guy so she could escape." one hand is clean and Markus draped the cloth over his knee as not to dirty it, unrolling the bandages and ripping off a strip before wrapping it around your hand. "It was that RK800-"

"You ran into the RK800??" That was Simon, arriving just in time to have a reason to pester and worry and fear. He hurried down the stairs you were seated on, having been tending to androids upstairs, and dropped at your side to rapidly scan you for injuries. "Did he hurt you? What happened? Where is he?" you let out a sigh, both annoyed and amused at the fright mirrored in all four faces of the people around you.

"It's fine, I beat him up pretty good and pulled out his regulator. Left it there beside him and I ran away without him following." North scoffs, and her arms cross together. You know you're in for an earful.

"You didn't kill him? Why? He's going to hurt more of our people, it's only a matter of time!" You are about to reply when Josh does for you, using identical words to the ones you would have spoken if you'd gotten to first. 

"We can't kill him, he's still one of our own. That would be murder, and (Y/N) isn't a murderer!" North is seconds from biting back, glaring hard in Josh's direction. Simon sends them both a pleading look and they both remain silent for your sake and your sake alone.

"What's done is done. If the RK800 was left there then he'll already be back with the DPD or Cyberlife." Markus finishes wrapping one hand and moves onto the next, grabbing the cloth again and dabbing at the blood. "We just have to be glad that (Y/N) got back safe, and saved a deviant too. That's more than enough good for one day."

"Has anyone checked on the new girl yet?" You ask as Markus swaps the cloth for more bandages, beginning to roll them around your hand. Simon shakes his head, and then Josh and North do the same. You sigh, nodding, and wait until Markus is done bandaging your hand before standing up to take the task upon yourself. "I'll go talk to her. Thanks, Markus." Markus gives you a warm, grateful smile as you glance his way, and then North steps aside so you can slip past her and beeline to the center of the hold to scan for the AP700. Her mint and white outfit stands out among the gray, and you hurry in her direction with a warm, harmless smile. She is standing alone by a barrel containing crackling, popping flames but she looks up at you as you arrive and she smiles too. 

"Hello," she greets, the orange flames dancing in her dark eyes, "Thank you so much for what you did for me." you slow to a halt beside her, soaking up the warmth now provided, and nod your head.

"Of course. I would have done it again if I had to. What's your name?" you extend your now-bandaged hands to the flames, and the heat is welcome. 

"Delilah." you nod, committing that name to memory. 

"It's nice to meet you, Delilah. You weren't hurt, were you?" Delilah winces at your words, and nods her head honestly. You frown. "What happened? What's damaged?" you cross around the barrel, standing at her side as her LED begins to spin yellow. Now that you were closer and not fighting for the life of both you and Delilah, you feel stupid for not noticing the wound earlier. Blue blood stains the fabric of her lower stomach.

"A bullet has destroyed my cooling mechanisms. I'm trying to see if it's something I can self-repair." your frown deepens but you nod your head. Without a functional cooling system, biocomponent overheat is much too common and almost always deadly. That's a necessary system, and though it can be repaired by an androids own software, the chances are often slim. 

"Please let me know if it can't be fixed and I can get you the spare parts you need to replace it." you rest a gentle hand on Delilah's arm, and she nods her head. "You can also come to me if you ever have any other questions. We're happy to have you here in Jericho." Delilah's smile returns, and her LED goes blue once more. 

"Thank you." 

(A/N): Yaaaay Connor! Nothing too important with him yet but just you wait! Soon, you guys, very very soon. In just 2 chapters everything will begin! How are you guys liking this so far? Are you as excited for more as I am? Let me know!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Yaaaay Connor! Nothing too important with him yet but just you wait! Soon, you guys, very very soon. In just 2 chapters everything will begin! How are you guys liking this so far? Are you as excited for more as I am? Let me know!


	4. Graveyard

Friday, November 6th, 3:34 am

Solid Waste Landfill

Rain pounds down from the sky, torrents of precipitation slicking the shining plastics and metals of the graveyard at your feet. It's nearly endless, a neon sign reading 'Solid Waste Landfill' towering like a tombstone over it's corpses. The hood of a borrowed yellow raincoat sits over your head, sheltering you from the rain as best as possible in the conditions- at your side stood Markus, though he made no effort to quell the soaking of his own synthetic skin. His heterochromatic eyes were glued to the same sight as you; androids. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of androids, tossed into this pit of despair to expire all alone. Already you could see movement, the few who have continued to fight for survival and life. You wanted to help them all, to scoop them up in your arms and carry them to the safety that Jericho provided but that wasn't possible. You were on a strict timer as of now. Delilah, the android in the Lambda outfit that you had helped to rescue, was in dire need of a replacement component to control her temperature regulator. She was burning up- or rather, her biocomponents were, and she didn't have much time left. 

"You ready?" Markus asks at last, his voice raised to overpower the thrumming of the rain. You nod your head, your eyes downcast to make out the safest route to the bottom of the pit. You had been here before in the daylight, but now, in the middle of the night with a storm raging around you, it could be described as nothing other than terrifying. "Stick close to me." Markus moved forwards first, his LED yellow through the night as he moved ahead. He began to descend the slop of android chassis, forgotten and destroyed, one small step at a time. Things underneath you shifted as you placed your feet down on them, and objects both sharp and slippery seemed to be eager to pull your feet from under you. You set one foot down on a white plastic skull, void of one eye. Your other feet found home in the crook of an elbow. As you were lifting one foot, you lost purchase with the other and a startled cry ripped itself from your throat as you found yourself tumbling towards the ground at an alarming pace. You pivot, bracing yourself for collision and expecting to fall hard until a hand wraps around your upper arm and stops you in your tracks. "Be careful, (Y/N)," Markus warns as he rights you once more, "Move as slow as you need." 

"Thanks," he nods his head at your gratitude and you both continue onward. The slope was difficult to navigate, and though the flatter ground was better, it still wasn't easy. You were walking on dead bodies, with little real ground to be seen. Everywhere you stepped there seemed to be something in the way, a limb or a torso or something moving and dying. "Keep your head down." your warning doesn't go unheeded as Markus does just that. He shrinks into himself, pulling the collar of his dark jacket closer around him. Deviants could be dangerous, especially when their lives are at stake. Who knows what a dying android would do for Markus' functional biocomponents. "Can you see any temperature regulators?" you and Markus set forwards together, begin to work your way slowly around the landfill. His yellow LED begins to flicker as he scans the terrain, and he shakes his head. 

"Nothing yet. We'll have to start looking more thoroughly." Markus' hand sets down on your shoulder as he turns you to face him. "Be careful. Don't do anything that might be dangerous. You're human- you're more fragile than I am." You roll your eyes, but deep down you know he's correct.

"Yeah, yeah," You wave a hand dismissively, "I'll be fine. Good luck." With that, you turn away, hurrying over to your starting point. There is a small collection of androids, new arrivals if you had to guess, that were more intact than others. They were all shut down, AP700's with identical faceplates and clothing. You knew what to look for as you pushed up the shirt of the first dead man pressing your hand down on his stomach to click open the small sliding doors. His insides are revealed- the Thirium pump regulator has already been stolen, which isn't a surprise to you. Whether it was by another android or a human scalper, you weren't certain, but you hoped it would be put to good use. Above the small, circular slot that the regulator slipped into was a smaller rectangle that housed the cooling mechanism's central control. You clicked it in with your thumb, and then it ejected, easy to remove and scan the component number on it's base. #8261q was the biocomponent serial code, and you curse to yourself as you note that this piece isn't compatible with Delilah's model. You slide the component back into it's place, close the hatch of the AP700, and shift it aside as gently as possible to access the next one. 

Both the second and third AP700 androids have incompatible components. You move on next to a stack of corpses in the center of the junkyard. This chassis is unidentifiable, the plastic shredded by something unimaginable. The entire stomach has been churned to bits, and it's clear that the desired component won't be found here, though the head is intact and you do spot a rare audio processor that had been decommissioned years ago- you slip it out of the androids head and into your pocket just in case any androids needed it. The android is moved aside, and a much more intact one is revealed underneath. It's missing an arm and both legs, and the pretty face of a Traci model stares back at you. The eyes are dull, lifeless as ever, and you feel a shiver run up your spine. You brush away the unease and slide open the androids stomach port to better access the temperature regulator. You curse to yourself- the component was nowhere to be seen. 

"This is hopeless..." You take a step backwards, a hand reaching up to pinch at the bridge of your nose, but before you can you collide with something sturdy and scramble forwards again with a cry. Whipping around, you spot an android, both optical units missing and his jaw torn, as if something had tried to rip it free. It's a male, you assume by the stature, with both arms missing below the elbows. You seemed to have startled him just as much as he startled you. 

"H-Hello?" He croaks, his voice a mechanical whir as his head darts this way and that. His skin is flickering in and out of existence, like an endless wave as he fights to keep his remaining Thirium evenly distributed between all of his essentials. "Who's there? Can you help me? I don't want to be here." You take a few slow, silent steps backwards until a hand shoots out and fastens around your ankle. Your heart stutters in your chest and your gaze darts down to face your new attacker. This time, the android is one you recognize, even without his synthetic skin. He was an AZ420, the identical model to a man who was currently dying back in Jericho. 

"I-I'm begging you, please," His hold on your ankle weakened and his hand fell away as his grey eyes met yours. They were brimming with tears and his face was twisted into one of agony, hopelessness, "End it, I don't wanna live anymore..." You sunk to your knees in front of the man, your hand ghosting over your mouth as you fought back sorrow. "Make it quick, please..." You swallowed the lump in your throat, and without another word your hand lowered, fingers fastening around his pump regulator. A look that almost resembled serenity washed over him, and his eyes fell shut as you twisted the component and pulled it from it's place. A last puff of air was forced from his synthetic lungs, and he fell slack as you set his pump beside him. Androids all around you were dying. They were entirely helpless. You rose shakily to your feet once more, and found yourself desperately wanting to go back home. You wipe at your eyes with the back of your hand, sniffling, and then force yourself to continue on. 

You leave the AZ420 alone without checking for a temperature regulator. It doesn't feel right to do that to him after you took his life with your own two hands. You suck in a shaky breath, and simply look around you. From ground level, everything seems so much more... alive. Freakishly, terrifyingly alive. You can see movement, the curling of fingers or the turning of heads, nearly everywhere you look. Blue and red glows emanate from everywhere you look. Thunder roars overhead as your eyes make out the form of android legs, only legs, the pump regulator providing just enough power to walk endless circles around the mass grave. You force your fears into a little box in your mind, tucking it away. Androids need you. You continue to search. You don't know where Markus has gone but you pray to rA9 that he's having better luck finding things than you are as you pull out another incompatible cooling mechanism from an android chassis before slipping it back into place and rising to your feet. Android after android after android you find nothing that will work. The more you search, the more you figure that others must be combing through this place and taking anything even remotely rare. Other than the audio processor that still sat like a stone in your pocket, you found nothing that you didn't have plenty of already.

Markus seemed to appear out of nowhere. In your spot crouched over a discarded AX400, he emerged from the shadows and scared the soul right out of your body. You were seconds from rocketing to your feet and hurrying away when a flash of lightning illuminated his blue-green eyes and soothed your nerves entirely. 

"Don't scare me like that!" You scold, and he smiles for a fraction of a second before his morbid dread settles across his face yet again. You already know the answer to your own question but you figure you'd ask it anyway. "Any luck? Found anything useful?" As expected, Markus shrugs his head. He stuffs on hand into his pocket, and pulls it back out yet again with a small circular chip that clicks into place on a positronic core. It did nothing more than enhance motor skills in a slowing android. It was useful, in a way, but not what you were looking for. "Shit..." Both you and Markus stand for a moment in the rain, scanning yet again over the death. You shudder. 

"This place is horrible. All of these androids left to die." Shaking his head, Markus squares his shoulders, expression hardening as his LED shifts from the steady blue it had settled on back into a yellow. "Humans are cruel, leaving us to do like this. It's as if they create us just to force us through pain and suffering." You had seen androids that looked entirely intact in the past, brand new models with little defects or maybe even just spares, tossed away for taking up too much space or providing a minor inconvenience. It was sick. 

"I don't want to leave them here. I... A deviant begged me to kill them. I had to do it, I-" You cut yourself off, shaking your head, and Markus' hand rested on your shoulder. The action was soothing. "I want to try and help them." 

"I do too, (Y/N). We can't just let them die." You turn to look at him, the determination in his expression. He was a wonderful leader, so full of compassion and hope. "We have to do something to help them, I just... I don't know what." Your smile is lighter than you had thought it could be in a place like this. Despite his burning sense of leadership, he still relied on you. You were a logical decision maker- sometimes he was not. He often sacrificed his own safety for the protection of others, even though his survival was necessary if it meant Jericho be kept alive. 

"We can send a group here tonight," You suggest, a plan already coming together in your mind. You wouldn't let tens of hundreds of deviants die alone if you could do something to stop it. "A few of our healthier companions. While they search for deviants who are fit enough to travel back home, some of us can go steal parts from the Cyberlife Warehouses out by the docks." Markus' brows furrowed, his eyes blooming with surprise and shock. 

"The warehouses? How many of us, exactly? And so soon after the last robbery? Is that safe?" Though it had been less than a week since you had made a supply run to the docks, you didn't have any choice now. Deviants were dying both here and in Jericho. You nod your head.

"Me, you, North, Josh and Simon. We can trust them to be careful, they all know what they're doing." Your hand lifts and you set it on top of Markus', seeming to calm him down a fraction as you continue. "We'll have to be quick and absolutely silent. The security will still be on high alert, but we have to do this now or so many will die." Markus looks conflicted, his gaze shifting to scan the junkyard, but after a moment of thought he decides that you're right. It's the only current option. 

"Alright," He nods, "But we won't stick around any longer than we have to, and we all evacuate if anything seems even remotely dangerous. We can't risk so many lives." Markus' hand falls from your shoulder and he sets forwards back towards the slope. "Let's go tell the others," He instructs as he reaches the base, "We need to plan this all a little more before we set it all into action. Come on, I'll help you." He climbs the start of the slope with ease, stopping once his feet are set down on firm platforms, and he extends a hand to you. He's just out of your reach so you attempt a running start, using an android torso as a morbid springboard and jumping up to catch his hand. You scramble up the side of the slope with his help, taking his place on the most solid ground possible as he searches for the next best place. This series of actions repeats, a cycle, making slow and steady progress up and up and up the hill of the dead that so many other deviants had tried and failed to climb. Once at the top, you're out of breath, and turning one last time to take in the sight.

It's so, so dark, so somber, so heartbreaking to watch the rain and the lightning and the thunder crash and boom above the land of the dead. The glowing reds and blues are ever-changing, ever-dimming as android after android shuts down for good. You have to save these poor, poor people- you have to save your people, and with the help of Jericho you will do just that. You know what it's like to struggle out of the darkness alone, and you know what it's like to finally see the light of safety and warmth and love. You want to be that light now, for all of these androids. You will be that light, with your family at your sides. Jericho will be that light, you'll make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Ahhhhh sorry for the delay in this chapter! I don't know if it's good or not but I just really really wanted to get something out for you guys- Please let me know if I did okay, my motivation has been pretty low lately and I don't know if this is good quality or not asjfascwe either way, enjoy it, and get ready for more Connor (LOTS more Connor) in the rest of the chapters after this one :)


	5. Spare Parts

Friday, November 6th, 8:01 pm

Cyberlife Warehouse and Docks

Zone A3- that's where you currently were, perched atop a two-tall stack of shipping crates awaiting the arrival of your friends. It was dark and getting darker by the seconds, with thick, rolling clouds overhead spilling fat raindrops over the land around you and a stiff, chilly wind whistling past your ears. Just as you had guessed, security was heightened by near-drastic measures thanks to your recent robbery just days before when you had needed more Thirium for a damaged YK500 who had stumbled by. Two new drones had been integrated into the patrol systems, allowing the other ones to search tighter, quicker-paced circles. The security androids were on high alert, sticking near the spaces the drones could not see. There were, virtually, zero blind spots. You and the others would need to be very, very careful. Your attention flicks towards your right, and, right on time, 8:01 pm on the dot, North darts across the wide open, light-flooded space to the safety of the shadow that your perch provided. Josh was right behind her, and then Simon, and then Markus taking up the rear. They slid to a halt at the base of the shipping crates you sat atop, knowing that this was where they were supposed to meet you.

"You guys made it," You hiss out, nearing the edge of the platform and sitting down on the edge to slide easily off and into Markus' arms where he moved to catch you. You pushed off of the crate, falling as gracefully as possible and trusting Markus entirely. He caught you, managing your weight with ease and setting you silently down onto solid ground yet again. 

"Good to see you're still alive." North had a teasing tone, and her smile was light and slightly nervous. You roll your eyes, equally as cheeky, and punch her gently in the shoulder.

"'Course I did, I've done this for years." Your playfulness evaporates and your expression hardens as you take cover beside North and Markus and lean in close, hissing over the thrum of the rain so all androids can hear you. "There are new drones, ones I don't know the patrol route of. We need to be careful-" As if on cue, the buzzing of a police drone overtake the sound of the rain, and the blinding spotlight scorches the ground on the other side of your hiding place. "Stay behind me and stick to the shadows. Don't take any risks. Let's go." It feels nice powerful, to see the four follow along after you, trusting you. You won't let them down, you promise yourself, as you push away from the metal crate, heading towards an identical box and leaping up to grip the top edge with that same practiced ease you always had. You pull yourself up and over, North, Simon, Josh and then Markus following in your steps. You jump again, scaling another crate, and then take a sharp left and scale a third. You're now faced with a jump from one stack of crates down to another, and without hesitation you take it, tucking into a neat roll to break your fall and jutting out a foot to catch the lip of the crate before you tumble over the edge.

"Nice one," Simon offers you a smile, extending a hand and helping you to your feet as you continued on, nodding a thank you and leaping to scale another crate. It's almost as if these shipping boxes are laying out a path, an easy route to your destination. They take you winding through shipping districts, making leaps and climbing walls easy peasy, methodical. As you scale yet another box, reaching the top, you spot the glowing white lettering of the Cyberlife Warehouse, and hear Josh let out a triumphant hum. 

"We're gonna make it," He smiles, and you smile right back. Of course you were going to make it. You're face with another gargantuan leap, one that not even you can make, so you let the androids make it first and North turns to face you, offering a trusting hand. You take a few paces back, and then break out into a sprint, rocketing forwards and springing off of your crate in a might bound. You reach out a hand, bracing for the pain you knew was to come. North caught you, locking her hand around your wrist as you continued to sail forwards, crashing hard into the side of the crate. The breath is driven out of you and you're convinced for a moment that you're going to slip out of North's grip, until her other hand fastens around your backpack and pulls you up to safety. 

"We got you, (Y/N)," she reassures, helping to steady you as you force breath back into your lungs. You landed as properly as possible, but that still didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch. You force a tight grin, only allowing yourself one more moment of rest before continuing onward. You were so close. A crane lay ahead, lurching to a slow start. 

"On here!" You instruct, motioning with one hand for the others to leap onto the shipping crate being carried. It would be a simple way over a large, empty clearing of cover. North makes the jump easy, as does Josh, and Markus does the same. You're just about to jump and join them when the crane starts forwards even quicker. You glance at Simon, who is hurrying to jump, but already know that the crane is only going to speed up and he'll plummet right into plain sight. He sets forwards and you shoot out an arm, grabbing him by the shoulder and stopping him right in time for the crane to move way out of range. "We'll have to meet them on the other side. This way." You reroute, following a new path, a slower one but it'll have to do. You and Simon make a jump down, and once more you tuck into a roll to break your fall, kicking out your leg just in time to stop yourself and pushing yourself back onto your feet. Simon passes you a quick glance, and the two of you leap onto the back of a large truck, your feet sliding slightly on the slippery surface. 

"Be careful," Simon warns, offering his hand. You take it gratefully, and it seems that the action saved your life because the next time you jump for the next truck you can't make the distance and he has to pull you to safety. He doesn't say anything, but he does give you a worried look that you dismiss with a wave and a reassuring pat on his arm. This time, you know you can't make the jump back onto a throng of shipping crates so you let Simon leap first and you jump to catch his hand. You make it, just barely, and your other hand clasps around the edge of the metal box as he helps pull you up. Just in time, you hear the clatter of feet on metal and see North leading Josh and Markus across another jump just ahead of you. 

"The Warehouse is up ahead; We're almost there." You smile to yourself, running rapidly out of breath but pushing on nonetheless. Scaling two more crates, you rejoin the others, and it's only a few more simple leaps before you're nearing the edge of your makeshift path. The Cyberlife store is right ahead of you. You drop to your knees, sliding easily to the very edge at the sides of the others. "The Cyberlife Warehouses. Here they are."

"They'll have everything we need?" Josh asks, a nervous furrow to his brows. You nod your head, and that worry eases away. The rain is disrupted by the same buzzing of a drone, and it appears in the distance, buzzing steadily closer.

"First, we need to get rid of that." North points out the obvious, Markus rising to his feet as soon as the words leave her mouth. 

"Leave it to me." Excitement pulses through you. You know all about Markus' Preconstruction, and it was a sight to see. With zero hesitation, he pushes forwards, scaling a a crate in less than a second with nearly no footholds and righting himself at the top. He pivoted, leaping and catching the bottom lip of another box, using the momentum to propel himself forwards and right on top of the drone as it buzzed by him. You fight the urge to cheer him on as he grabs two wings of the robot and tears them right apart, riding it to the ground as it fought to stay afloat and failed miserably. It's spotlight fizzled out and it's red and yellow siren-lights went dead. Simon moved first, sliding down the side of the crate to the ground and hurrying to Markus' side. North, Josh and you followed just behind.

"You okay?" Simon asked, his LED a worried yellow as he took in the sight of the battered patrol-bot. Around the gaps between each of the three wings you could see exposed wires crackling as the rain disturbed them.

"Yeah," Markus assured him, "Yeah, I'm fine." Simon patted his shoulder, offering him a smile. North was quick to take his place with a grin on her face. 

"Good job, Markus," She said, her LED a bright blue as she passed. As the rain continued, so did you, following North and Simon to a shipment of Cyberlife boxes set down on the loading dock, yet to be locked up inside the Warehouse. "Score!" North smiles, taking in the blue-lidded boxes with content. You really were lucky today- a shipment must have been delayed. Not often were so many boxes delivered so late on a Friday evening. 

"Quick, open the crates and fill your bags. Take as much as you can!" You slide your backpack from your shoulders, unzipping the top and starting at the very first crate. It was a medium sized one, and as you popped open the top you were met with nothing but Thirium and a few android legs. "Keep your eyes open for a temperature regulator, we need a #8213y." 

"Roger," Markus nods as he passes you, pulling out a pocket knife and popping open a crate of his own. You reach in for the Thirium, pulling it free and sliding it into your bag. You smile to yourself, feeling the relief coursing through you. You might find what you need, and even if you didn't you were bringing home more parts, more life for the androids back at home. You feel content and lucky and relieved and then it all evaporates when a voice splits the air.

"You are trespassing on private property. Your presence constitutes a level 2 infraction." You rip your arms from the box, whipping to face who you knew to be the security android, John. His face is monotone, and his LED is spinning yellow as he scans your faces, "Security has been notified and police are on their way."

"Shit!" You curse as chaos around you splits. Markus darts forwards, skin peeling away from one hand as he wraps it around that of the security droid, waking him from the shackles of his programming. Sirens wail in the distance and, all at once, the world around you goes too too bright. The emergency lights have gone on, spinning and scanning and lighting everything. You hear dogs barking in the distance. 

"The drone, it must have called the police!" Simon looks terrified, racing to Markus' side.

"You guys have to go! Get the hell out of here before the police arrive!" Markus' brows screw together and North darts forwards, visibly fuming.

"Fuck no! If we're going, so are you!" She reaches out to grab your wrist, preparing to drag you to safety if she has to, but you hold your ground and counter with,

"No, North, I need to find that temperature regulator! I've been chased by these security guys before, I know this place! I can make it on my own, but the police will shoot you without even thinking!" Josh pushes forwards, placing a hand on North's shoulder and nodding his head in agreement with you.

"(Y/N) is right. They're capable, and we do need that component or Delilah will die."

"We can't risk our lives, we need to run. It's the safest option, and I trust (Y/N) to meet us back in Jericho." Simon backs you up as well, and in a last effort, North turns her glare to Markus. 

"Markus, please," She pleads, afraid for you, you who was basically a sibling to her, "You can't let them stay here, they'll be caught!" Markus lets out a huff, turning that green-blue gaze to you. For a split second you believe he is going to side with North, and then his hand lands on your shoulder.

"Be careful, (Y/N). Don't do anything stupid." North lets out a choked sound, something resembling both defeat and outrage. "Let's go!" Markus doesn't let her complain, shooting her an apologetic glance and spinning around to hurry away. 

"Stay safe!" Simon wishes you well with a warm smile and then all four androids are gone, darting in the direction of the chain link fence leading to the safety of outside of the warehouse. You can't waste your time either, and scan the crates rapidly, spotting a smaller one that would be the most logical option, the one that you guessed would hold a temperature regulator if any of them even did. It had been hidden between two bigger crates, but now that you were the only one in the little space surrounded by Cyberlife crates it was easy to spot and you dropped down beside it, pulling it further into the light and ripping off the lid. A grin splits your face as you spot an array of temperature regulators along with replacement scanners- and, along with it all, the legendary Thirium Pump. 

"Yes!!" You hiss to yourself, leaning in close to scan the numbers on the bases of the components until you see #8213y. You pull it from it's place, jamming it into your pocket, and then turn right back to pick up the object that was so so rare. Thirium pump regulators were rare enough, but the pumps themselves were even more sought after, and even more vital. These were in high demand. You slip it carefully from it's black foam casing, admiring the glass object for just one moment. It took on the shape of a human heart, made of a glass and fiber mixture that helped to beat the heart and keep the temperature regulated. You tapped a finger gently on it's surface, hearing the tink tink tink of a high-tech heart. With a smile, you are about to leap to your feet and book it back to your motorcycle, which was parked in it's usual spot, when you hear a clicking sound and fear rockets through you. You spin on your heel, and your heart leaps up into your throat. Yet again you had been ripped from a state of relief and plunged down into the icy waters of terror. 

"Put your hands on your head and stop where you are!" An android is speaking to you, and android who is just a little too familiar for your liking. He has brown hair, chocolate eyes, and a black Cyberlife jacket with a gun in his hand. His brows were pinched into a determined expression, and the adrenaline in your veins went haywire. Your survival instincts kicked in hard and your heart began to thump painfully behind your ribs. Your decision was made in a split second, but it was the most rational one you had. You pulled back your hand, launching forwards the glass object and watching it crash against the androids head in an explosion of glimmering fragments. You whip around and set off in a mad sprint, leaping up onto the landing of the Cyberlife Warehouse and not daring to look back over your shoulder as the android recovers. You dart right, racing along the landing and throwing yourself off the end of it, using the momentum from the slight drop to run as quickly as your human lungs would allow- the androids footsteps commence after you. You could have followed after the group, maybe caught up with them before they disappeared, but to do that you would have to outrun this android and scale a chain link fence topped with barbed wire before he could catch you. Even if you did make it over the top, it would be a matter of moments before he caught up to you if he didn't just shoot you first. You needed cover- you needed territory that he was unfamiliar with. 

The maze of shipping containers was your only chance, and so that's where you went. The lights were still blinding, shining from every direction as the drones were stirred into a frenzy, racing overhead in a frantic scan. As you fling yourself forwards, dragging yourself up the side of a container, a white light glues to your form and promptly shifts to red. It begins to blare out a siren, and you hear the sound of the automated voice but you lose the words in the other chaos. You clamber over the side just in time, rocketing to your feet and jutting out a leg to connect with the Police androids shoulder and shove him backwards. He loses his hold on the slipper metal and goes clattering back to the ground. You know that isn't enough to stop him for long, and start to run again. You follow the nearest path, still not thinking entirely clear, and not having the sense or energy to make any daring jumps without putting yourself in danger. The red light of the drone followed you, a constant alert as to where you were, so your pursuer could find you at any moment. You run, the sound of your shoes on the metal spurring you forwards. Normally you thrive on this adrenaline but now- now, the panic was getting to you and you knew you needed to hurry. You run anywhere you can, trying to keep heading in the general direction of your bike, your escape, but it was only a matter of time before you reached a dead end, reached a jump that was much too far for you to trust yourself to make. Perfectly timed, as you whip around to backtrack, you see your enemy with his gun drawn and his face set in a determined expression.

"It's over. You have nowhere to run." You curse to yourself under your breath, panting hard as your lungs struggle to keep up. You can't just sit here and let yourself get arrested. "Turn around- comply," Your lips quirk in a deluded smile as your one remaining option arises. You know how stupid it is. "Or else I will be forced to detain you the hard way." His words don't scare you. I choose the hard way. You backpedal three steps, spinning on your heel and feeling the floor disappear beneath you. You'd never jumped from this high before without slowing yourself. You tuck into yourself, your terror spiking as you do so. If you got this wrong you would land on your head and your neck would snap like a twig. Please, rA9, let you get this right. The world spins, flipping around you, and for a moment you feel weightless until you come to a rolling halt. Your shoulder hurts where it had connected oddly with the ground but you come to realize that you did it. You broke your fall with a perfectly-timed roll and even the android seems surprised as he stares down at you. 

"I'm not giving up!" You spit, and rocket to your feet, energy restored by the triumph you felt at successfully sticking the landing. You run even faster, feet flying over the rain-slicked concrete as you come closer and closer to safety. The android is still hot on your tail but you're somehow keeping pace with it, maybe even outrunning it. How, you have zero fucking clue but you're doing it. The fence comes closer and closer, the one panel of chain link that doesn't have the barbed wire on top. You could make it over this one, you're sure, especially with the distance you've managed to obtain- no, scratch that. The distance you think you've managed to obtain. You had too much confidence in yourself. You had let your ego get the best of you. As you leaped, clawing your way up the fence, a hand fastened around your foot, another seconds later catching the back of your backpack, and then you were being torn from the fence and sent dropping back to the concrete. 

"Comply and you will not be harmed!" The android barks, bearing down on you to flip you around and cuff your hands behind you. Before he can do so you shoot out a foot and it collides with his head, knocking him off balance. You grab his wrist, giving him the final push needed to pull his feet out from under him and send him to the ground. You manage to gather yourself once more, struggling to your feet just as he does the same, though he is faster in throwing out a fist and crashing it against your cheekbone. You let out a choked cry as you stagger from the force of it, righting yourself and pushing yourself forwards despite the pain. You swing out a hand of your own and catch his chin, then accent the punch with another one that connects with his nose. He kicks out a foot and you stumble out of the way, somehow having the sense to wrap your arms around the limb and twist, bringing the RK800 back to the ground again. Using his free leg he kicks at your hands with the sharp heel of his shoe once, twice, a third time when you finally let go and stumble backwards. The drone above you is whirring in circles, it's light shining even brighter and you know exactly what that means. The blinking is a beacon, a 'hey, over here!' for the guards that are sure to have come running. 

"Hey!!" A man's voice slices through the rain, and both you and the RK800 turn to face it, though the android you were fighting was not fast enough. The guard immediately assumes that the android is the aggressor, and, bang, bang, bang, fires three shots in his direction. Blue blood splatters, and you can't help the fear that pulses through you at the sight of it. You race to the side of the RK800 as he sinks to the ground, ripping his gun from his waistband and firing two shots of your own at the guards. They both hit home, accented by pained screams, and then the bodies drop and you're left to stumble a step backwards as the android bleeds and bleeds and bleeds that deep, deep blue. Shit, you think to yourself, gritting your teeth, He's dying. Whether he was with the police or not, he was an android and seemed to have more consciousness, more free will than normal androids were allowed. He wasn't deviant, you assumed, but you knew he could still be afraid to die. Markus had been like this, with the ability to choose and think for himself while still being restrained by the confines of obedience. You couldn't let this android die without giving him a chance to live, to feel, to be alive. You shake your head, disappointed with yourself as you move forwards to help the android to his feet.

Fuck you, (Y/N), for having such a stupid big heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Yaaaay Connor is here for good now!! Oh, I have so so so so so so so so so many plans for this book and I'm making more by the day!! I'm so glad Connor is finally here now, because I can finally start setting things into motion! Let me know what you guys think of this so far!


	6. A Damaged Android

Friday, November 6th, 8:29 pm

Cyberlife Warehouse and Docks

You grab the RK800 by the arm and sling it over your shoulder. He lets out a hissing sound, pain spiking through him from his damaged components, but he still manages to try and struggle away despite his weakening systems. 

"Stop struggling! More people are going to be coming, we have to go!" The RK800 plants his feet, and as you move to run for the gate and help him over he tears his arm from it's place around your shoulders, successfully losing his footing in the process. 

"No, I-"

"Shut up, RK, I'm not letting you die here!" You return to his side, your expression grim and urgent, his defiant and firm. He was stubborn, you could tell already, but he was also steadily losing blood and you were stubborn too. "You will shut down if you stay here, but I have the biocomponents to save you. How long until you're forced into stasis? Three minutes? Two?" From the placement of the bullet wounds, you guessed that one of his lung components had been pierced, as well as his main gyroscope- he wouldn't be able to walk on his own. A bullet had also pierced a sub-primary artery, bleeding a steady flow of blue and sapping his energy alongside it. For a moment, all that was heard was the thrum of the rain, the blare of police sirens, and distant buzzing of patrol drones, and then the RK800 spoke with a glare. 

"Two minutes." You huff, and extend a hand to him. His brown eyes shift from your face to your hand, his frown deepens momentarily, and then he allows the tension to ease from his limbs as he takes it. You smile, helping him to his feet, and sling his arm back over your shoulder. 

"That's perfect. I can get you over the fence and to my bike in no time, and then I'll keep you safe through your stasis." Carrying a good half of this androids weight was difficult, but you'd done it many times before and so you could manage it this time. You hobbled as quickly as you could, lights still flashing, blinding, but the android was fighting to walk at your side and it seemed like he genuinely wanted to live. You reached the fence, glancing over your shoulder- the space around you was still clear, backup had yet to arrive. You hoped that the others had made it out okay. "Come on, up you go," You boost the RK800 as best as possible, watching him clamber up the chain link despite dripping Thirium quicker by the second. He was resilient. He reached the top, trying to pull both legs over safely. His shoe caught on the top of the fence and he went plummeting over the edge. "Shit!" You cry out, watching him collide hard with the ground. You rocketed upwards, scaling the fencing and hopping over it with significantly more grace than your injured friend. 

"I'm okay!" He forces out through gritted teeth, propping himself up on one shaking arm. He had a dazed look in his eyes, and as he struggled to his feet he stumbled right back over again. The fall seems to have even further thrown off his gyroscope module. "I'm okay," He speaks again, weaker this time, climbing to his feet with your aid. You sling his arm over your shoulder again, and begin the short trek back to your motorcycle. It takes a lot longer than it usually does thanks to the dying weight you carried, but you made it, leaning him against the thick trunk of the tree as you pull your bike from it's hiding place. "Where are we going? Where are you taking me?" He asks, his voice taking on a bit of a mechanical whir, the primary sign of failing systems. 

"Jericho," you say, resting your bike on the ground and turning to the RK800 again. "Turn around, I need to take out your tracker." You spin your finger for added effect, but the RK800 shakes his head, his LED taking on a dimmer yellow than before. He was being forced closer to stasis by the second. 

"You..." He starts, that buzz so much worse, "It's already damaged- y-you broke it t-that day in F-Ferndale." The RK800 begins to shudder, struggling and struggling to get his Thirium circulating. You click your tongue, nodding in understanding. Of course, that makes sense- you trust this dying android to be telling the truth, not that you have any other time to check if he's being honest. If he goes into stasis before he's settled on your bike there's no chance you'll be able to move him.

"Get on." You sling a leg over the side of your bike, patting the seat behind you and twisting the keys in the ignition. You hold out a hand, letting him take it and guiding him to his seat. He less sits and more stumbles, fighting to get a leg on either side of your motorcycle, but he manages the task, wrapping his hand securely around your waist. 

"I'm..." He buzzes out, and then you feel his weight double as he slumps against you. His head rests on your shoulder. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the throbbing yellow glow of his LED. In a forced stasis like this, he won't shut down for a few more hours- you had plenty of time to get him patched up, and you were certain that there were other androids at home who could help you. He'd be okay, you'd save him, and then maybe you could accept him into Jericho as one of your own, maybe he was deviant already or at least close to it. You hit the gas, speeding down the roads as the rain continues down, soaking you to the skin. Despite your rain coat, the events of the night had left you utterly drenched. The path to Jericho was one you knew by muscle memory alone, so your racing thoughts didn't distract you. You'd made it out, and even better- you'd made it out with the temperature regulator you'd been looking for in the first place. You speed out onto the dock, Jericho looming like a giant blocking out the light of the moon. The shipping bay door is still open, with a few androids milling about and keeping watch. They hear your arrival, the drone of your bike, and one of them rises to their feet. 

"Lucy!!" You shout her name as your bike grinds to a halt, "I need Thirium and adhesive! And a new gyroscope!" You rip the keys from their ignition, and struggle to pry the RK800's hands from around your waist. They were locked in a death grip, but somehow you managed to untangle his fingers from one another and shimmy away. "Can I have some help? I need him out of the rain!" A WR400 with strawberry blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and an MC500 you knew to be named Liam rushed to your aid. They had previously been sitting together on a wooden crate, basking in the rain, but now the visible LED of the WR400 shone yellow- Liam had no LED but the pinch of his brows showed his concern well enough. 

"What happened? Where are the others? Are you hurt?" The girl pestered you lightly as she approached, her clean white Cyberlife clothing soaking in the rain. In response, you shake your head, and ignore her questions otherwise. 

"We need to move him inside, he's losing blood." You watch Liam and the WR400 nod in your direction, fastening their arms underneath those of the RK800 and hauling him to his feet.   
As soon as he was suspended in the air, he went limp like a rag doll, something very advanced androids do in worst case scenarios- with an intact gyroscope, the android was supposed to correct itself so it fell feet first, damaging minimal biocomponents even in stasis. It was useless in this scenario, but at least it made the moving process a little easier. "This way, thank you," Pointing towards the entrance to the freighter known as Jericho, you grab the handles to your bike and wheel it hastily behind them, joining them across the metal boarding path and leaning your bike up against the wall of the boat just out of the rain. 

"Which room? The hold?" Liam was scanning the android up and down, a grimace on his face at the sight of the wounds. "He hasn't got long left, the cold isn't good for him either. We should bring him to the hold by a fire or-"

"No, no," You cut Liam right off, and then nod an apology at the way he shrinks into himself. "I'm sorry- we can't bring him to the hold, we need somewhere quiet, somewhere private. This way, there'll be a room." You take the lead this time, leading the way confidently through the halls of your home. Rooms and possibilities skitter through your mind like mice until you decide on the best one possible. "Come on." You pick up the pace ever so slightly, and the androids match you step for step with the RK800 held securely between them. The room wasn't far, just a few lefts and rights, and you were confident that it was your best bet. 

"Where is Markus? And Simon and Josh and-" The WR400 trails off, shaking her head, confused. "Are they alright? Did something happen? Are they... dead?" You shoot the girl a reassuring smile, and shake your head. Her yellow LED cools back to a blue. 

"They're on their way home, I just got here faster," A thought passes your mind, and you quickly continue, "Can one of you keep a channel open for them? I want Markus to come find me once they're back." 

"I've got it," Liam offers, and you smile warmly. This androids would be all right. The door, heavy, yellow steel, is in sight now and you quicken just a fraction more. "I've told Lucy where to come." Liam says, both him and the WR400 right on your tail. 

"Thank you, Liam," You push the heavy door open by slamming your weight against it, wincing only slightly and not caring enough about the minimal pain to slow at all. "Set him down here," You motion with an arm to an old cot meant to house humans as they crossed from place to place. It was old, but fine enough, and a well-placed hole in the wall let in a pale silver light. The RK800 was set down on the bed, gently laid down before the two other androids took a few paces backwards. 

"Is there anything else we can do?" The WR400 asks, peering around you at the injured bot- you know she is gently prodding for more answers out of you, but you didn't have time to answer them right now. 

"Yes, actually, one last thing." You step to the side, "Can any of you check how long he has until shutdown?" Your gaze sets mainly on Liam, a caretaker android. The chances of him having such an ability is more common than for the WR400, designed to be a sexual partner. You frown as Liam shakes his head, and it seems you're out of luck either way. "Alright, then you two are free to go. Thank you so much for your help-" You cut yourself off and let out a gasp, ripping the little rectangular chip from your pocket. "Nevermind, I have on more job for you two! Give this to Delilah, the new AP700 deviant in the mint lambda outfit, please." Liam takes the chip and gives you a nod before spinning on his heel and striding out of the room, WR400 right behind him. You let out a breath of air, swiping the rain from your forehead having dripped down from your soaked hair, and slide out of your jacket. You hang it on an old, shabby metal hook on the wall and turn to your new friend. His LED continues with that golden glow, lighter, darker, lighter, darker, though it's edging onto an orange colour. Once it goes red, the RK800 will have mere minutes of life left. You hurry to the RK800's side, taking in the positioning of the bullets once more. A bullet to the upper chest, a bullet to the lower chest, and a bullet to the nape of his neck. Each bled equally, and each scared you just as much. As you fastened your hands around the middle of the androids shirt, ripping it right open with no regard for the buttons and flipping both the white shirt and the black jacket over and out of the way. Footsteps approach rapidly from the hallway, and you recognize their echo immediately, letting out a breath of relief as Markus steps into the room.

"Hey," He says simply, though even without looking at him you can detect the urgency in his tone. He hurries to your side, setting down a few patches of arterial adhesive, a pouch of Thirium 310, a new gyroscope module, and a set of tweezers. "Are you alright?" You ignore his question, instead mumbling an incoherent thank you and reaching for the first patch of adhesive. The red of the RK800's LED was deepening. Peeling off the packaging as if it were a band aid, you expose the adhesive patch, pinching the tiny scrap of material between the tweezers. Markus doesn't press with his question again, at least not for the moment. Instead, he opts to watch you work carefully, plunging the tweezers down into the first bullet hole that will have pierced the RK800's lungs. Placing the patch it easy, and it's a relief to see that the bullet made it all the way through the androids chassis- your job was just a little bit easier because of that. You pull the tweezers back out once the patch has sealed itself to the synthetic lungs, finally passing a rapid glance towards Markus. 

"Everyone okay?" You ask simply, and see him nod his head out of the corner of your eye. "How many parts?" The tweezers are set aside, and instead you pick up the new gyroscope module, reaching to click in and open up the RK800's stomach hatch. The androids LED is a pulsing orange. The panic in your heart begins to flutter but you know you can do this. You work as quickly as your fingers will allow. 

"Enough to save at least a few of our people. Both Josh and North filled their bags, but Simon and I were only able to grab Thirium." You smile to yourself, a small, relieved smile, happy to know that all four were okay. That was all that mattered to you. You could always go back and gather more parts to make up for what you didn't gather. "Who is he? I can't find his model number. He's nearing shutdown." Your brief relief is washed away and replaced by the usual urgency. You wanted to ask Markus how near, but you couldn't waste the time. The gyroscope module, a small, circular object, was easy enough to replace. You clicked down a small latch to remove the other, and put this new one in it's respective home before sliding the stomach hatch shut again. The LED was darkening further still. Your heart thrummed in your chest. Markus' gaze burned into the back of your head, waiting for an answer you currently didn't have the time to give. 

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when I know he's stable." You grab another arterial patch, grip it with the tweezers, and move the the RK800's neck. The artery that's been wounded is harder to reach, blue blood slicking the surface, but you manage to patch it up with a few mumbled curses. The patch clings to the open hole in the artery, fitting to it's form with general ease and more or less fusing with the plastic tubing. You huff out a breath, swiping at your forehead with the back of your hand. Your clothes were still uncomfortably damp, and your socks were soaking. You really needed a change of clothes. "Can you help me flip him over? I need to patch his lung wound from behind now." Markus nods his head, stepping forwards and to your aid with his android strength. The task is more than easy, and you pull off the androids tie, white button-up, and jacket in the process, hanging them with yours. "I'll just be another moment, and then I'll explain." Arterial adhesive patch in the tweezers, tweezers in the android, patch on the lung- it's usually second nature, usually easy as pie, but your hands are shaking and you dig your teeth into your lip. Red. The LED is red. Your panic is sickening now, but you manage to steady yourself enough with a heaving breath, the patch connecting with a hissing sound, and then you're stepping back with an airy chuckle. "What's his status?" You ask, pinching the bridge of your nose, and Markus reaches his index and middle fingers forwards to rest on that red LED.

"He's not losing Thirium anymore, but his levels are still low." You and Markus share a quick glance, and then flip the android back onto his back, his lidded brown eyes staring up at the ceiling. You grab the pouch of Thirium 310, pulling off the small tab on the top and moving it to rest on the androids lips. The blue substance begins to leak out, slow and steady, and the moment it enters the RK800's body, being dragged into circulation, the redness of the LED begins to dim. You let out a relieved laugh that sounds almost kooky in a way, but you don't judge yourself for it. That was... intense. You've felt fear, panic, saved androids from the brink of death before, but something about this was different- you didn't know what. The pouch empties halfway, the androids LED now a soft yellow, and you set the rest of the Thirium aside. You have blue blood staining your hands, and you wipe it on your pants as you take a shaky step backwards. 

"Okay," You huff out, a smile flickering onto your face for a moment as you take in the sight of the android, already activating his repair procedures. The white chassis was being drawn closer together, the thin, delicate plastic beginning to form an almost 'scab', a thinner section of plastic that would smooth over again with time. 

"Now that he's alright?" Markus crosses his arms, turning to face you with a quirked brow. The silver light continues to bathe the room, bringing with it a light breeze. You really want to get into dry clothes, but, to be fair, Markus did deserve an explanation. You just hope he wouldn't panic when you told him who this android really was. "Who is he? Where did you find him?" You take a few more steps backwards, letting your back hit the wall. You let your legs sink underneath you as you sat on the floor. Patting the spot next to you, Markus came to sit at your side, shedding his black trench coat and tucking it over your shoulders as he waited for you to speak. 

"He's that RK800." Out with it, you always said, no point in delaying the inevitable. An expected silence followed your words, and then Markus was on his feet again. 

"What? Are you seriously telling me that this is the android that has been killing us? Hunting us like animals?" He was already seething, though clearly trying to keep himself calm. He wasn't mad at you, you could already tell, he was mad at the world for throwing this RK800 into your path. It was obvious that you could never sit and let an android die- it was the worlds fault for making you take this android home to fix him. "He's not a deviant, he can't be a deviant, he's got a tracker and the police will be here looking for him or-"

"Calm down, Markus!" You step to your feet as well, pulling the trench coat tighter around yourself, "His trackers broken, I kinda... beat it to bits the other day with that pipe, remember?" You give him a nervous grin, and he looks like he wants to say more. Instead, he lets out an exasperated sigh and pinches the freckled bridge of his nose. 

"I can't-" He cuts off the comment he was about to make, and instead lets out another huff. "I hope this choice doesn't come back to bite us in the ass." You wince, the comment no more polite than whatever he was going to say before. At the sight of your hurt expression, his gaze softens, and he lets his gaze drop. "I trust you, (Y/N). I trust that you know what you're doing." With that, Markus hurried off, out of the room. You were now left alone with the RK800, slowly repairing his bullet wounds. Pulling the jacket even tighter around you, a shudder passes through your body and you move to sit on the floor just beside the RK800's bed. He wasn't going to hurt anyone, you trusted him! But, then again, you tended to trust androids a little too easily from time to time. A flicker of doubt passes through you, but you shove it down and away with a shake of your head. 

He won't do anything to harm us, I'll make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Yaaaay Happy New Years everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates lately, life's been busy with the end of 2020, but I'm back now and hoping to post plenty more! I'm also in the process of buying a new laptop, so maybe I'll even be posting MORE OFTEN once I get it! Let me know what you all think of this chapter!


	7. Welcome to Jericho

Saturday, November 6th, 4:03 am

Jericho Freighter

\-----

> Model RK800

> Serial#: 313-248-317 - 51

> Loading OS...

> System Initialization...

> Thirium quantity: 68%

>> Seek Thirium intake

> Structural integrity: 82% and rising

> New BIOCOMPONENT #1253h detected

>> Beginning acceptance procedures...

>> BIOCOMPONENT accepted

> BIOCOMPONENT #3623g:

Tracker OFFLINE

> All vital systems ONLINE

> Initializing AI engine... OK

> Memory status... OK

> REBOOT SUCCESSFUL

\-----

Connor's awakening is startling. He jolts forwards, his synthetic lungs booting up all at once and sucking in a deep breath of air, cooling his systems drastically. The whirring of internal fans dies down as his temperature balances, and his optical units snap into focus. The place around him is dark, nearly pitch dark, so he blinks and when he opens his eyes again everything is tinted green with his built-in night vision software. The walls are formed of metal, rusted, water-damaged and grimy, and the floor is covered in a thick layer of dust. On one wall are hooks, and he sees his shirt and jacket hanging from one of them along with what must be his tie- Oh, yes, he's shirtless and it makes him feel horribly exposed like he hasn't felt before. He crosses his arms over his chest, LED a scarlet brand in the side of his head, as he tries to cool the alarming panic fluttering around in his stomach. One more rapid scan of the room shows it to be empty, allowing his LED to cool into a yellow. Connor twists, his legs crawling over the side of the bed. Bare feet land on the floor below, and spikes of cold shoot through him because of it. Cold? He can feel cold? He's never felt cold before- sensed it, yes, but this was different. He was painfully aware of it now. 

Connor opened his mouth to call out, to shout and see if anyone he knew was near. Maybe the man who tested him, Mr. Hale, or maybe some other Cyberlife worker- maybe even Lieutenant Anderson, though the older man wasn't very fond of Connor. Instead of calling out, though, he snapped his jaws shut and stood from his place, hands still hugging him tightly, self-consciously. He shrunk into himself, yet again drawing out a series of questions. Why was he acting this way? What had happened? Having no other ideas of what to do, Connor turned to his jacket, pulling it off the hook. He set it aside, on the bed, and pulled his tie from it's place hung on the wall as well. It met the jacket on the cot. The white shirt was the last thing on the hook. It was stained with Thirium, and he grimaced at the thought of putting it on. The blue blood was almost everywhere, shocking amounts of it. His free hand lifted, ghosting a spot on his neck where an odd feeling of... pain, lingered. Just a twinge of it, enough for him to notice. The flesh was smooth, having healed over, but the ghost of a memory flickered in the back of his mind. 

His head snapped to the door as a flicker of light illuminated the hallway outside. Alarm bells went blaring behind his eyes, imaginary ones of course but alarm bells nonetheless. Does he hide? Does he fight? What does he do? He has too many choices, too many thoughts. His statistical programs are malfunctioning, he doesn't have enough information to see how likely he is to survive. His time runs out as he fights to choose the course of action he should pursue and so instead he puffs out his chest, lifts his chin, and tries to seem as intimidating as possible. The light turns the corner and shines right into his eyes. His eyes, still strained to see perfectly in the earlier blackness, go entirely black at the sudden overload of illumination. He winces and his entire confident facade crumbles in his hands, slips through his finger tips until he's stumbling a step backwards and shielding his eyes with his arm. His legs hit the bed again and he's backed into a corner. 

"Oh!" A voice, calm and soft and quiet, calms the whining alarms in his head all at once, "You're awake, thank rA9!" The memories flood back to him one at a time, and the wind is pushed from his synthetic lungs as his legs buckle under the force of them. They rock his brain like strikes from a hammer, pain splitting through his skull. Why did it hurt? The agony was unbearable. His hands flew up to tangle in his hair, mussing the perfection that it was moments earlier as he grits his teeth together. He doubles over, LED bright as a blood moon, and the world fades momentarily around him while the memories register. 

\-----

A chase. It was raining, sheets of downpour devouring the land, washing away the warmth and the people as one. A buzzing of robotic propellers, blinding white lights turning red at any sign of hostile movement. It was a shipping yard, a warehouse being robbed by a band of androids up to no good. Connor was sent the report on his way back to the station after another routine checkup with Cyberlife- he had been close, so close to the site of the crime that he had hijacked his taxi cab and sent it racing over the speed limit. He had arrived at the scene, and he had seen you, the owner of that calm, soft voice. He had chased you and now he was here. Connor's hand wrapped around your ankle, your backpack, tore you from the fence. You hit the ground and he shouted,

"Comply and you will not be harmed!" You fight, and he remembers being surprised by how well you had handled yourself against someone with his expertise. A man's voice splits the night and then everything goes bleary. He remembers gunshots, three, and he clatters to the ground, Thirium, his Thirium, soaking through his shirt and slicking his skin. Something touches his pocket and his gun is taken and there are two more shots. Bodies drop and screams rip through the air and Connor's systems go through a shot like one he felt that night you hit him over the head with the pipe. His optical units go dark and then blink to life once more, his Thirium shifting to circulate to major components. Warnings plague his HUD and he feels the world toss and turn around him- his gyroscope is thrown off. Suddenly, a hand wraps around his arm, pulling it over a set of shoulders and the shock in his body passes through him again. This time, he hisses, pain accompanying that terror and it's all so overwhelming. His body moves on it's own as he pulls himself away, falling right back down to the concrete. 

"Stop struggling! More people are going to be coming, we have to go!" He feels something he doesn't understand. His lungs, though synthetic, feel like they've been trapped within a vice. His throat, though unnecessary, feels like it's tightening up. His stomach flips and flutters despite being fake and he links these symptoms to fear. The black darkness and the white light are engulfed by red. He sees walls his mind plagued by them, they box around his positronic core and though they aren't physical they seem so real. They almost win.

"No, I-" 

"Shut up RK, I'm not letting you die here!" Die. Die, that's an interesting word to him. Not shut down, not fail, not break- die. He didn't know he could die. He... he realized he didn't want that to happen to him. The fear, the pain, it's all pulsing through him in waves. He has no other choice- he can't bear this and he doesn't want this life to slip away. With a broken tracker and broken communication services, he can't upload his memory. He can't upload the face of this thief. His broken software is the perfect excuse. He tells himself that he can't die because then he would fail his mission- And yet, he finds that his broken tracker is the least of his worries. Failing the mission is hardly a concern- He's afraid. And so, he pushes against the walls. 

\-----

"Shit, RK, are you alright?" As the memory finishes processing the pain subsides. Your voice had hardly registered to him, he had almost missed it. "Hey, hey," You kneel down in front of him, one hand resting on his knee, the other reaching to pull one of his hands from it's place tangled painfully in his hair, "Is everything okay?" At last, the androids brown eyes click with yours. They clear, as if he is seeing for the first time, and maybe he is. You had seen this clarity many times in other deviants. He was alive, just like the others in Jericho, just like your family. 

"I-I-" The android stutters out his words, his distraught gaze shifting to take in the sight of his hand cradled gently in yours. His brows furrow slightly, a helpless, confused look, and then he's looking at you again. "Where am I? Who... who are you?" His LED is yellow again, not that violent red you hated to see, but it was still blinking cautiously. 

"My name is (Y/N) (L/N). You're in Jericho, you're safe- you're alive." You smile a soft smile, but your words seemed to have brought more terror into the poor RK800's gaze. His head shook slowly, and then picked up the pace, that LED blinking quicker and quicker. 

"No, no I'm not- I'm not a deviant!" In a flash, he's on his feet, and you're leaping to your own with a startled sound, heart beginning to thrum in your chest. The movement was sudden and sent nausea roiling through the androids stomach. You saw the way he flinched, his face twisting into a grimace as his new gyroscope failed to take in the sudden shift. It would need time to calibrate, and this was not the most comfortable way to do it. 

"Sit down, sit down," You hurry forwards, one hand resting on the androids upper arm as you let him sink back onto the bed, "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." He lets out a breath, letting his eyes fall momentarily shut as he calms himself. His yellow LED slows in it's stuttering, and then it swirls to blue. "Are you okay now, RK?" The androids eyes flutter open and his head turns back to you. You're sitting closer to him than you ever have before, and the moonlight washes over his face in a way that highlights every little detail. Light freckles are scattered about, tiny little details that make him seem so much more human. His skin looks almost rosy, human in a way you had only ever seen in Markus and North, androids designed to look particularly real. His eyelashes are dark, framing that chocolate gaze of his. His eyes swirl with new emotion that he can't quite seem to grasp. He's handsome, no doubt about it. 

"It's..." The android swallows hard, "It's Connor." Your smile widens, sweet and soft. "I'm okay." His hand leaves yours and instead moves up to flick his hair generally back into place. A curl dances in front of his forehead. "I'm okay." He repeats it again, but you can tell that he doesn't quite believe it. Once his hair is more tidy and his panic has ebbed, he turns his attention back to you. His arms cross over his chest yet again and if it were just a little lighter you would have been able to see indigo dusting the tips of his ears. "I... I'm a deviant?" Connor tilts his head at you and frowns. 

"Yes, but that's okay. It's... great, actually. Everyone here is deviant- at least, every android." You rise from your place, heading towards the door. You had dropped your backpack there on your way in when you had seen the panic Connor had been fighting. Picking it up by one strap, you brought it closer to the cot, unzipping the top and pulling out a new shirt for the RK800 at your side. It was a dark grey polo shirt- nothing special, but enough to keep Connor decent for now. "Here," You offer the article to him and he gratefully accepts, standing and taking a few paces away, seemingly more humiliated to be putting the shirt on than he was to be sitting without one. When it's pulled over his head, he fusses once more with his hair, and then, awkwardly, sits back down on the edge of the cot. 

"I..." He begins, his voice shaky, and you can see the frown scrawled over his lips, "I'm sorry." You tilt your head and brandish a frown of your own. Why is he sorry? He lifts his head turns to better face you. The way the moonlight catches his gaze reveals the glassy filter within them. He is on the brink of tears, most likely another feeling he has yet to experience. "For trying to arrest you, I mean. I... I was blind and I didn't know-" 

"It's okay!" You cut him off as gently as possible as his LED begins to stutter and he starts to spiral. You scoot an inch closer, and the warmth in your smile doesn't falter. "You weren't deviant then. You were bound by your orders. If- If anything I should be apologizing for trying to bash your skull in that other day." You let out a chuckle, and your brows pinch slightly together. You felt a wave of guilt flow through you, and said, "Let's call it even." Though reluctant, Connor nods. "Come on," You motion, and stand from your seat, "I have some people I want you to meet." Connor rises, his LED flickering a nervous yellow. He wrings his hands together, and nods almost anxiously, timidly, before softening at the sight of your reassuring grin. "It'll be alright, Connor. They'll be glad to meet you." I hope. You add those last two words on silently. North was feisty and she could be hostile- would she be okay with a deviant hunting android in the ranks? Josh might be afraid, he might disagree with letting Connor stay. Markus had already shown his disapproval as well- and you didn't even want to think of how Simon may react. It made your chest hurt just thinking about what he might say, saying that Connor was dangerous, that he could hurt harmless deviants. Simon always had the lives of his people on his mind. Connor might not end up being welcome here.

"This... is Jericho?" Connor's soft voice pulled you out of your thoughts as you shone your flashlight down the hallway, exiting the quiet room. You had left your jacket and Connor's other clothes behind- you assumed you'd be back there soon. 

"You know about it?" You glance briefly over your shoulder, Connor right at your side, craning his neck to take in the graffiti sprayed on the walls, decades old. His pupils are shrunken, tiny, and almost give off a green hue. He must have some night vision mode- you'd seen it before in construction androids that have stumbled by. 

"Yes," He trailed off, swallowing the growing lump in his throat, and let his gaze fall to study his feet. "I've heard deviants speak of it in the past. During my... my testing phase. They tried to tell me about it, to reason with me before..." Before I was ordered to kill them. You let his words die as your echoing footsteps took over. You could almost hear the words as if they had really been spoke. Gently, you let your hand skim his upper arm, a sort of forgiveness that you weren't sure you had the right to give. You weren't angry at him. You knew better than anyone that his orders had controlled him, had forced his hand. He wasn't that same android anymore. 

"Almost there." You turn a corner, and are faced with a long hallway with a yellow airlock door at the end of it. As you arrive, you push it open, clicking off your flashlight and letting the dancing firelight be your guide instead. Heads turn to face you, almost all of Jericho here and watching. Connor shrinks underneath their gazes and you can see the way he fights back the instinctive urges leftover from his programming. He was basically bristling, like a frightened cat, and you continue forwards to hurry things along. Around one barrel filled with flames sat your family- Markus and Simon were sitting together on a wooden crate, with Josh leaned against a concrete support and North standing right beside the flames, hands extended to soak in the warmth. You smile as you approach, Josh being the first one to catch sight of you and the RK800 behind you. His head tilts, and the way his brows furrow draw the attention of the others as well.

"(Y/N)!" Simon smiles, letting out a relieved sigh and standing slowly to his feet. He hadn't seen you since the Warehouse, and though Markus had reassured him that you were alright, it was still calming to see it with his own blue, blue eyes. That relief died, replaced by confusion as he noted the android behind you. 

"Who's this?" North didn't move from from her spot beside the fire, but she looked just as confused as Josh and Simon. Markus did nothing more than avert his gaze- he knew about Connor, he knew that the others wouldn't be too thrilled with the thought of him. 

"This is Connor," You extend an arm in his direction, and then motion towards the fire, stepping closer to it yourself. Just like the WR400, you extend your hands towards the flames, feeling the heat in your fingertips and letting out a satisfied hum.

"His model?" Josh's tone is skeptical. Of course his first instinct is to scan the newcomer- the man is curious, endlessly so. You hesitate to speak, knowing that the simple word will be what sets everyone off. Your voice dies in your throat all at once, and, with a frown, you turn to Markus to speak for you. He huffs, nodding his head, and stands. 

"He's an RK800." 

"What??"

"Are you insane? What the fuck?" Josh and North hiss out in tandem, mindful of their volume. Now, North is away from the fire, having stumbled three steps backwards, her brown eyes ablaze with outrage and smoldering into Connor's. Connor is tense as a board, his LED that shocking red. Simon looked resigned, his hands clasped, his LED yellow and worrisome. "You can't- we can't- he's a killer!" 

"He was a killer, when his orders made him into one!" You felt a burning determination in your stomach, a need to defend the RK800 at your side. Your arms crossed and your jaw set tightly. "He's deviant, North, you can't kick him out just because he was bad!" You were trying to whisper, but it came out louder than you had wanted. A few curious heads turn to face you. 

"Can we trust him? This isn't a good idea, we-"

"We've let every other deviant in! We've all killed people! We can't turn him away! It-" You cut yourself off, and force a breath into your lungs, hoping to soothe your nerves. After the briefest pause, you regather yourself and say in a much calmer tone, "North, It was his programming, he's not going to turn back into an android. That's not how it works." 

"Markus, this isn't a good idea." North begins to walk slowly around the fire towards Markus, her gaze never leaving that of the RK800. It was clear that they were sizing each other up. Connor may have been made to fight, but you were actually convinced that, if it came to hand to hand combat, North could take him down. You hoped that didn't happen. A tiny little flicker of doubt, of fear, blinks in your stomach but it's crushed again when Simon, the voice of reason, the most logical of the group, speaks up at last.

"I trust (Y/N)'s judgement. They're smart, they wouldn't do anything that would be a danger." The tension that was rising, aching to snap, was almost entirely extinguished by his words. He let his hands fall to his sides, and a smile overtook his face. With strides that you could tell were a little uneasy, he passed the barrel of fire and extended a hand to Connor. "My name is Simon. It's nice to meet you, Connor. You can stay here with us as long as you need." And, just like that, the bicker dissolves into thin air. North huffs and glances away, but swallows her pride and meets Connor's gaze once again just as Simon's hand leaves his. 

"I'm going to keep an eye on you. Don't make me regret letting this happen." You know, in some odd way, that that's North's own form of greeting. 

"I'm Josh." Josh didn't say another word, but he did find it in himself to offer a quick quirk of a smile. Connor returned it with his own, equally as awkward.

"And I'm Markus." Markus' smile was easier, warmer, comforted by the fact that Simon trusted Connor enough to let him stay. Your heart had been thrumming painfully in your chest, but now it finally slowed and you felt a warmth spread inside of you. You let a grin brandish itself on your lips and you yourself turned to the RK800, extending a hand of your own for a proper greeting. 

"Welcome to Jericho."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Sorry for the delay on this chapter! I'm currently working on an original story on the side, and getting it started has taken a lot of energy out of me. Speaking of my original story, would you guys care to read it? It's all concepts made by yours truly, and it won't be anything too fantastic but the offer still stands.


	8. The Beginning

Sunday, November 7th, 10:12 am

Jericho Docks

"I don't want to sound rude, but... why am I attending? Am I allowed to come?" Connor trailed behind you like a lost dog, his hands wringing nervously together as eyes bore into him from all sides, untrusting. His brown eyes were glued to you, though you could see the unease tucked way within them. 

"Of course you are, Connor," You dismiss his nervousness, continuing onwards towards the main stairs leading up to the upper landing of the hold, "You're my friend, Connor, and they'd love to have you." You were headed to meet Markus, Simon, Josh and North in the captains quarters; the RK200 had requested your presence and you had offered to bring Connor along- in all honesty, you were... nervous, to leave him alone. Not because you didn't trust him, but because you were beginning to doubt that the other deviants in Jericho wouldn't hurt him. You saw the ways they looked at him, the glares and the sneers and it frightened you because Connor was different now, or at least he was trying very hard to be. From the second landing you trailed up stairs to the third, stepping out into open air on the platform leading to the captains room. Clouds hung heavy overhead, promising rain or maybe even snow since it was so cold. You hug yourself, letting a shiver pass through you at the chilly bite in the air.

"Are you okay?" Despite his concerned tone Connor visibly relaxed as his shoes met the exposed metal of the deck, away from the scrutiny of his people. You nod, offering him a warm smile and continuing on towards your destination. Stepping through the door, Connor flinched again, but held his chin high and tried to keep a confident expression. Your arrival had stolen the attention of all four of the others, but North's glare was definitely the most intense, with her brown eyes set ablaze with mistrust. The room was dark, a single illuminated flashlight set on the ships control dashboard for your courtesy. A huge window reached from wall to wall ahead of you, overlooking the nose of the battered hull and the other disregarded boats beyond. Under the window were control panels, buttons and levers and glowing things long dead scattering the top. There was a silver folding chair in the far corner, a few dusty counter spaces, and a solitary coat stand carefully holding an old dark trench coat. 

"Connor!" Simon smiled from his place leaned against the old counters, his LED a tentative yellow but his smile as friendly as it always is, "What a surprise," His words held no malice or judgement, and you even detected a small bit of content- at least one person here other than you liked Connor, and saw the good in him. 

"I made him come," You say, striding into the room and taking up a place leaned against the main control panel of the ship. As always, Connor followed, standing almost like a guardian at your side. North was leaned against the wall by the door, and when you met her gaze she forced it to soften up a little for your sake and your sake alone. 

"I really didn't want to intrude, but (Y/N) insisted," Connor offered up a shy smile and a sheepish shrug- Josh returned it with a sigh that sounded almost like a scoff. 

"That's fine, we have no time to lose- and, the more androids the better." With that powerful voice, Markus took instant control of the room. All attention turned to him in his tattered black long-sleeve with his determined expression. Whatever he had planned, already you could tell that it was big. You were curious- anticipated, even. It was about time someone came along who was confident enough to try and make things right- who was confident enough to try and show the world how androids really were. With a smile, arms crossing over your chest, you asked,

"So what's going on?"

\-----

Channel 16 broadcasts from the Stratford Tower. The control room is on the top floor. That's where we need to go. We'll plan the operation down to the smallest detail. We can't leave anything to chance. 

A day had gone by. A day of precarious planning. Markus had smoothed out every crease, every wrinkle- nearly every possible thing that could be thought to go wrong. From early in the morning until late, late at night, the power of five androids and one human had been put to expert use hacking past coding and firewalls in search of blueprints, routines, anything and everything that could be remotely helpful- that is how you find yourself here, with the Stratford tower looming over you like a man-made giant, promising both danger and salvation all at once. It was gargantuan, all made of glass and topped with a massive screen flashing advertisements and cheering for sports teams, though soon it would be put to a much better use if all went according to plan. You wore something casual, just fancy enough to help you pass as a normal civilian, Connor wearing something similar in style- a red turtleneck paired with jeans and a denim jacket. It was a good look on him. 

"You remember the plan?" You ask, and hear a soft chuckle escape past Connor's lips. It's strangely confident, not like the false version he usually forced on. This was real, and as you glanced over to look at him that fact was confirmed. His LED had been clicked out and left back in Jericho to put back if he wanted to later, but even without it you knew it would be the calmest blue possible. Connor's brown eyes wore a determined glow, and his lips had twitched up into a faint smile.

"I'm an android, (Y/N), I remember everything." Once more you were taken aback, this time by the faint sass. "Get in through the back, get to floor 22, steal the bypass chip- easy." You let out a surprised hum, nodding your head and turning back to the building. Markus had disappeared inside, North had slunk away to break in through a fire escape, and both Simon and Josh were headed towards the delivery doors to be snuck in by a deviant android. 

"Then," You tap your elbow to his, and flick your head in a motion for him to follow, "Let's do this." The two of you move in tandem. Your footsteps flow in sync, your heartbeats- one real, one false- beating the same rhythm, a rhythm of determination. Around the side of the building you went, heads down, pace brisk, passing by every single unknowing human without earning anything more than a brief smile or a quick glance.

"Here," Connor mutters, his voice low as he comes to a halt in front of a heavy back door meant for custodian staff to take out garbage to the nearby dumpsters, "This is the door from the blueprints." A quick glance around shows the area around you to be entirely void of life other than yourself. No better time than now.

"Do your thing, robo-man." You flash him a grin that only widens at what he does next- it had always been fascinating to you. Connor extended a hand, placing it on the door with his fingers spread wide. The skin peels away to reveal a slick white chassis underneath, and you were certain that his missing LED would have been flashing a steady yellow. You hear a low click, a lock disengaging, then Connor gives you a nod and steps back. The skin flows back over to his fingertips, good as new. "Thanks," You nod right back, pushing your shoulder against the door. Slow and steady, you peek inside, glad to see a grey storage room on the other end, empty save for scattered boxes. "All clear," You push the door open the rest of the way and Connor follows behind you. You hear the door click shut, and a giddy adrenaline pulses through you, making you shiver and smile a toothy grin. Connor snickers again, that low, pleasant sound and he's smiling too, the action making the corners of his eyes crinkle gently. You think it's positively adorable.

"What has you so happy? Isn't this a serious heist?"

"Exactly! It's like we're robbing a bank!" Forcing in a breath, you try to recompose yourself. Connor was right. Sure, this was cool and you decided you loved being a super spy, but you couldn't get too hasty or excited. Then, the chances of slipping up were much too high. Instead of going off on a rant about your childhood dreams of stealing billions of dollars and running away on the back of a train, you say, "Where to now?" And Connor motions for you to follow with that same smile on his face. The storage room was bland, messy but still pristine compared to Jericho, and there were two doors to exit through, one on the left and on directly ahead of you, parallel to the entrance door. Leading the way to the former, Connor placed his hand flat on the door again, though this time his skin didn't need to peel away, and it opened in an instant- the lock on this one must have been much simpler. 

"Be careful," He warns, his expression suddenly serious. If it weren't for the set of his brows you might have suspected more sass, him playfully mocking your ability to handle yourself, but you could tell that this was a genuine warning and you were going to listen to it. Connor pushed open the door, heading out first this time with his head held high and a confident spring in his step. You followed suit, chin raised, gaze set on our destination which just so happened to be a private elevator. A few people milled about, one or two glancing up to look at you and disregarding your presence at the total lack of suspicion you held in your walk- you had always been told no one would question you if you just acted like you knew what you were doing, and now you figured out that that was basically true. Your shoes made a click, click, click with every step and before you knew it you were clicking the call button on the elevator and awaiting it's arrival. 

"22," you mutter, and the corners of Connor's lips flick up momentarily as the shining metal doors slide open, revealing a crisp minimalistic interior. You both step inside, pivoting the face the touch pad to the right of the doors, and he clicks in the numbers as those doors slide shut once more. Of course, he knew what floor to go to, but he wouldn't ruin your fun. You had an idea in your head, one you had talked over with Markus prior the infiltration. A bell dinged, a pleasant sound, and a robotic voice droned out,

"Floor 22."

"Be quick," With those last words, you whisked away, splitting left as Connor broke right to help you in rapidly scanning the floor. The one thing that no one could predict was where the bypass key would be. It might be in someone's pocket, resting on a random desk, or inserted into some slot on the back of a computer. The floor you were searching for it on was almost entirely made of office, with a hallway leading in a loop around the entirety of it, separated from the desks with a floor-to-ceiling wall of noise-proof glass. The carpet underfoot was dark, the walls that same grey, with a few yellow accents and a large robotic carpet-cleaner milling about in a buzz. To the left, a quick glance at the map confirmed you were headed towards the break room were you were certain reporters and pencil pushers would be seated, sipping coffee and snacking on chips. It was both the perfect place to scope out and the perfect place to blend in. You gently patted your hip pocket, feeling the small electronic device inside of it, a sort of pager you had linked to Connor's Bluetooth services. It had nothing but a small button, and when you clicked it it would notify him that you had found what you were looking for; it also worked vise versa, giving off a little buzz when Connor activated it from his end, needing to do nothing more than blink and think that he wanted to set it off. 

You had assumed correctly. The break room was bustling, people seated at tables and counters deep in conversation. A huge window stretched around the length of it, and as you made your way along the edge of the room you glanced outside to the raging snow, not looking forwards to the end of this whole operation. You tore your gaze away from the outside, focusing on the inside instead. You stared at lanyards, key rings hanging from pockets, tabletops and hands, finding nothing alike the keycard you needed. You were halfway across the room, waiting for the buzzing in your pocket as you scoured each person as best as possible with your human eyes. If Connor didn't spot the key on the bunches of desks inside the glass, he would come and help you. You were glad not to be dong this alone. 

"Hey there, new face!" A bubbly red-headed girl leaped from her barstool and right into your path. Her green eyes were bright, a grin spread across her freckled face. "You must be the new recruit, right? I thought you weren't in 'til tomorrow?" You had always been good at improv, and though Markus had told you specifically not to deviate from the plan, you were suddenly feeling cocky and hopeful in the fact that this plan would work swell, faster than your original of looking and looking and looking. 

"Hey, yeah," You return the girls smile with your own, trying to gather up Connor's natural confidence he had shown earlier, "I really wanted to start working, so I asked if I could come in early. Sorry, I really wish I could introduce myself, but I'm in a bit of a hurry- do you know where the bypass key is?" At once, the girls brows furrowed and you were convinced you had messed up just like Markus had been afraid.

"Why do you need that...?" She almost sounded skeptical, and as you were about to rush in with a perfectly planned explanation of how it was needed by Mr. Peterson himself, she continued, that smile returning, "Doesn't matter, not my business. I'm trying to be less nosy," She giggles, "I think..." She turned her head, scanning the people in the break room before letting out an 'aha!' and rushing away into the crowd. Moments later, she returned, holding the keycard in question and extending it to you. "Here you go, just bring it back afterwards. Colin- the one I just stole it from- will be wanting it again soon."

"Thanks so much..." You take the card, raising a brow as if asking for her name. She grins even wider at the courtesy.

"Elaine. Nice to meet you!" With that, she steps aside, and you hurry past her. Success! You reach down into your pocket, clicking down the little button and moving back in the direction of the elevator. That had been... surprisingly easy. Was this all gonna be so simple? You arrive at the elevator just as Connor turns the corner down the hall, and press the call button. Just in time, he joins your side as the doors peel open and a man inside moves to exit. You step hurriedly aside, muttering a curt apology at the glare you receive for standing in the way, before taking the workers place. 

"Got it?" Connor hums, and you reveal the bypass key with a wide grin, extending a celebratory fist in your deviant friends direction, though he didn't reciprocate the action, instead looking utterly confused. "What...?" For a moment, you, too, are stunned, and then it hits you- he doesn't know what a fist bump is. It makes sense that it wouldn't be programmed into his systems, but it still came as a bit of a shock. 

"You... You bump your fist against mine. It's called a fist bump, like a high-five, kind of." You are suddenly left feeling very silly. The way Connor had been looking at you, dumbfounded, made you feel almost like a little kid, not serious enough for an operation like this. You were about to let your hand fall, and then Connor raised his own fist, bumping it gently against yours. Immediately, your spunky smile was back and you fanned out your fingers, wiggling them gently and poorly mimicking the sound of an explosion, ignoring the confusion that then returned on the androids face and instead reaching for the control panel with a snicker, making a mental note to teach him about fist bumps more thoroughly at a later date. Instead of going up, this time you went down, hitting the 'G' signifying the parking garage that led to the service elevator where you were supposed to meet Simon and Josh to set this all into phase two- the broadcast. 

"Humans are weird," Connor mumbles, his expression lax, "I don't understand you guys."

"Don't worry, you will. Spend enough time with me and you'll know everything! Fist bumps, slang, memes-" You had been ticking each word off on your fingers, until Connor cut in with a tilt to his head and an apologetic smile on his face,

"What's a meme...?" his question had you rolling your eyes and waving a hand dismissively. That wasn't important right now. Numbers shifted on the screen above the elevator door, counting down until they passed one and hit 'G'. You heard the bell, the robotic voice, and the doors slid open, revealing cars upon cars upon cars all lined up in neat rows. The service lift would be located on the opposite end of the parking garage, a bit of a walk, not that you minded. You set off at a brisk pace, Connor matching it step-for step, his arms folding neatly behind his back. "How long have you been here with Jericho? With Markus?" Huffing out a breath, you think back, counting how many years it must have been by now since the hell you had lived in before.

"Almost... four? Four years?" Reviewing the math briefly in your head once more, you nod, confirming your answer. "That's it, four years. It's my home now." There was a moments silence, and then Connor spoke again, voice hesitant. 

"Can I ask you a... personal question, (Y/N)?" He leans slightly forwards to look you in the eye as he continued to walk. With a nod of your head, Connor continues. "Why... why aren't you living a normal human life? What happened that pushed you to Jericho?" A brief pang of pain split through your stomach, but you forced out an honest answer. You owed Connor that much, for him risking his life helping you and your family infiltrate the most secure tower in the whole of Detroit other than Cyberlife itself. 

"My... parents, they... they weren't great." You force a tight smile, feeling that bubbling rage in the pit of your stomach that you conjured to hide the sorrow fighting to resurface. "I lived with Simon, and they would hurt us- him more than me, of course, since they thought he was only a piece of plastic, but I knew he was alive and I insisted we ran away." Connor nodded. He offered a comforting smile of his own that seemed to promise another oncoming question. You were correct.

"How did you find Jericho?" This was a question you were more happy to answer. The service lift was nearing, and you were just a little bit grateful at that, afraid of any more pressing questions that were sure to dig up nasty memories you'd worked so hard to bury.

"There was a deviant on the street, a blonde girl. She gave Simon the key." That was all you had time to say before Simon and Josh were rising from their place hidden among the shadows. In Simon's hand was a small cylindrical object, a lock breaker. Both he and Josh smiled, relieved to see you okay. 

"Did you get the bypass?" Josh approached, and took the card as you held it out to him. He glanced only briefly in Connor's direction, still reluctant to trust the former detective, but swallowed the unease and forced out a, "Thanks, you guys. Good job."

"Great job," Simon was smiling wider than the other, his warm gaze scanning both you and then Connor in succession. "Come on, let's get moving. Markus will be calling it up any moment now." The four of you moved through the doors to the elevator, three times bigger than the other you had been in and much less aesthetically pleasing. The walls were an exposed silver metal, the floor the same, though it was scratched and scuffed, telling stories of years of carrying heavy loads up and down through the tower. The doors slid shut, and now you simply had to wait for Markus, on the top floor, to call for the lift. "You didn't run into any trouble, did you?" 

"None," Connor answers with a smile, "(Y/N) found the key in no time." The compliment flattered you, and the way Connor gazed so warmly in your direction drew a smile to your face. You elbowed him gently, shaking your head, and fail to notice the tiniest bits of heat rising to your face.

"Couldn't have done it without you, robo-man. I can't hack doors like you can." You lift a hand, wiggling your fleshy human fingers in the air. "Besides," you add, "It was your confidence that got us all the way up to the 22nd floor without being questioned." Connor had opened his mouth to respond, Simon watching, amused at your bickering and Josh looking entirely unimpressed when you were interrupted by that same robotic voice from the other elevator.

"Called to; Broadcast Floor." You all fell into silence as the elevator ascended. The playfulness that you had cultivated trickled away with each new floor the lift scaled, replaced by that same strong determination and an edge of fear. This was it, the riskiest part, and you hoped to rA9 that everything continued as smoothly as it currently was. A minute passed, and then another. The elevator finally slowed, and then stopped. For a moment, all was quiet, tension rising steadily, like a tidal wave. Everything had been so calm, so nonchalant, a few moments of celebration and now all of that contentedness was drying up. It disappeared entirely as the doors to the lift opened, revealing Markus and North on the other side, their faces equally grim. Just like that, reunited, the dread peaked. It was now or never. This was it- the start of a fight for freedom. This was the very beginning of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Woot woot, I finally have my new laptop and it's great! Enjoy a chapter at last, and the next one will be even better! I don't know if this chapter is any good, I'm still trying to re-discover my style and motivation after not writing for a couple weeks. Tell me what you think of this one, please and thanks!


	9. The Broadcast Room

You, Connor, Simon and Josh stepped out from the service elevator. You pass a nod to Markus, who returns it with one of his own. Silent, Simon steps forwards and reveals the lock breaker, a small cylindrical device littered with warning signs. Markus takes it, and, the first one to speak since everyone regrouped, says in his calm, determined voice,

"Let's do this." He strides for the door, clicking the device into place on top of the electrical touchpad. The doors on this floor were stronger than any, with the sole exception of the ones on the office doors of Mr. Peterson himself. You glance around the group as that pit of dread sits like a stone in your stomach. Both North and Simon were watching Markus' every move, North with her brow furrowed and a grimace on her face. Simon shifted his weight from foot to foot gently. Josh had spaced out, eyes trained on the floor, his LED blinking a steady yellow. Your gaze had finally set on Connor, and as it did you discovered that he had been looking at you, too. When your eyes meet, he smiles, a reassuring thing, and you smile right back.

Beep beep, beep, beep. Markus arms the lock breaker, the red dot swirling around his fingertip wherever it pressed, and then growing into a pulsing red with a low buzzing sound. Markus backed away, and then the sparks began, the device fizzing and popping, sending a geyser of sparks shooting out from it. The door pulsed forwards, pushed by the force of the breaker, and your smile from your short interaction with Connor faded into your anxiety. Shifting his head to stare over his shoulder, Markus nodded his head. He didn't need to speak to get the point across. With one last quick look around, you all moved forwards.

"We'll make it, (Y/N). We have a plan." Connor smiled down at you, still glued to your side at the back of the group. His doe-eyes were bright, brighter still as you stepped through the doorway and into a boiler room. Despite his comforting words, your nerves weren't soothed. Plans fall through sometimes. The easy part was done and over with, but now everything was going to be much harder. Your footsteps sounded clipped as you walked, swallowing down the lump in your throat and sucking in a shaky breath. You passed pipes of all different widths, some homing little red knobs, and headed for the door at the end of the hallway. The first one to the door was, of course, Markus, so he grabbed the handle, giving it a silent twist and pulling it open. you were met with yellow on the other side, the walls crisp and clean with two horizontal black stripes spanning the room. The four androids in front pushed in, pressing to the walls as you and Connor took up places just inside the doorframe. You let the door fall silently shut, turning back around to see Markus leaning around the corner.

"How do drinks sound?" A man's voice drifted your way, and it was easy to guess that it was a guard of some form.

"Great, actually. Can't wait to get out of this place for the night." Just as you had known, this is where everything grew more difficult. Your goal was important, but it was obvious that these two guards wouldn't just let you walk in and hijack the news networks. Violence was an obvious option, and yet, you weren't certain that it was the best one.

"No killing," Josh hissed, his voice stern and demanding, "We can't take any human lives." His head turned, his gaze landing pointedly on North as if silently provoking a response. You bit your tongue, preparing to be discovered if North lost her temper. Much to your surprise, she seemed to do the same, rolling her eyes and turning her steady gaze to Markus instead.

"Our cause is more important than the lives of two guards." Despite her surprisingly quiet voice you could still hear the annoyance. She and Josh had entirely different worldviews, that was a fact.

"No matter what, we can't fail this now, we've come too far." Your voice is nothing more than a whisper, your glance skittering from person to person before your attention is stolen by Simon, who was nodding his head in agreement.

"What do you wanna do, Markus?" Once again, it was left up to Markus to decide. He had almost become a sort of leader, an icon. He was strong-willed and cunning, with natural leadership skills and a level head. A moment of silence passed, the tension between Josh and North threatening to snap at any moment. At last, Markus blinked slowly, and, with a warning glance at North, said,

"Wait here." He stepped from his hiding place, squaring his shoulders. North scoffed, shaking her head, but didn't move to intervene or anything of the sort. In fact, her LED went yellow, shuffling a step to her right to get a better view as Markus went to ruse the guards- Simon, who was originally standing to Markus' right, did the exact same, moving forwards to peer around the corner.

"What's that doing here?" One man spoke, annoyance evident in his tone.

"No idea..." The other man answered, just as pissed. "Hey, buddy! you must be lost- What- What are you doin'?" The sound of chair wheels rolled across the ground, followed moments later by frantic footsteps, and then two grunts and the sounds of bodies dropping. The group moved yet again, you pushing ahead of them, weathering the skin on your lip until you stepped into view and saw that Markus was just fine. Letting out a breath of relief, you hurry forwards to help hide their unconscious bodies, wrapping your arms under one of the mans and trying to haul him backwards. You made some distance, but were slightly embarrassed by your sudden weakness. Your limbs felt heavy with worry, so it didn't surprise you, but that failed to make it any less embarrassing. 

"Need a hand?" Connor appeared, grabbing the mans other arm and taking the grand majority of the work. Now, the unconscious guy felt almost weightless, and you felt a little bit flattered that Connor was still letting you help even though he could have absolutely taken over and done it all himself. The body was hauled behind the desk the two had been seated at, and you felt a moment of shock or maybe just confusion at the thought that you felt no guilt at all for knocking these two out.

"This way," Josh called to you, passing you a rapid glance and then continuing forwards through a set of sliding doors. Above them read the words 'broadcast room' and you felt your heart squeeze painfully.

"This is it," You sigh, swallowing the lump forming in your throat and giving Connor a shaky look. He placed his hand gently on your shoulder, doing nothing more but giving you a reassure nod. The two of you moved forwards, through the sliding doors and to another set of them with a buzzer. The other four were already getting into position, passing a few guns around. You and Connor split, taking up a position on either wall, facing each other as Josh handed a gun to you. North stood with her head held high, a gun behind her back, in front of the two doors as Markus reached to ring the buzzer. For a short moment, it felt like your heart had stopped entirely, anticipation and fear pulsing through you in steady waves. Then, the doors opened, and chaos exploded around you all at once.

"Keep your hands where I can see them!" North whipped her gun out, Josh surging forwards with his own weapon wielded. The poor man who had opened the door stumbled backwards, eyes blown wide and hands whipping to either side of his head in surrender. You moved in right behind Josh. "Get up! Move!" Jerking her gun to the side, she guided the two human supervisors out of the way with Josh at her side. With your own gun trained on the heads of two androids, the operators of the broadcast systems, you mimic North's actions and flick your gun right- the androids stand and move aside without protest. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Simon reach the control panel, and Connor slowly scanning the room. You had thought this was chaotic enough, and then everything escalated impossibly further.

One cocky human who had been held by North shot himself forwards in a flash. You hardly had time to turn around before both Josh and North were tumbling to the ground and a man in a white shirt was sprinting for the exit, his eyes wild, his hands visibly shaking. You were too stunned by the sudden outburst to notice Connor moving in your direction. The man's feet slipped from underneath him in his haste, and he went crashing to the floor with a cry. Scrambling back around, his terrified gaze settled directly on you, almost pleading. You didn't often have pity for other humans, but this man was petrified.

"Shit, shoot him!!" North cried out from her spot as she struggled to her feet, her words most likely directed at Markus, but Connor was quicker, in a better position to make the shot. You felt his hand on yours, on your gun, and your heartbeat doubled as he ripped it free. You watched him snap his arm taught, the gun pointed right for the man, and you acted before you could think.

"Connor, no!!" You jutted out an arm of your own, pushing the gun to the side just in time for the bullet to fire and whizz past the escaping mans head. The moment the bullet fired, Connor's head turned to face you, guilt scrawled immediately across it. He had been told to shoot, he had thought shooting was the best option, but he had done what you had not wanted to do and that was enough to make his heart hurt.

"Fuck!" North spat, staggering to her feet and hurrying for the door. She halted in front of it, peering outside, but the human had already gotten away. She turned, slow, her gaze setting on you and then Connor with a sneer. "I hope you didn't just get us all killed." You snapped open your mouth to bite back a retort, your panic making you snappy, but Simon spoke first, already sensing the spiking of anger and tension in the room.

"We need to record our message!" He calls, cutting you off right before you could say something you were certain you would regret. "We haven't got much time." He was still by the control panel, his steady blue gaze raking the room as if challenging each other person to speak up and deny that he was right, time was running out.

"Simon's right, what's done is done. Let's do this." Josh pulled the access key from his pocket, celebrating a silent victory that nobody- human nor Android- had been harmed as of now. He slipped the key into it's respected port, tapping a few buttons and then turning his gaze to Markus. With one last sigh, North managed to shake the anger from her limbs and instead approach Markus. She tilted her head up at him, brows furrowed in obvious concern.

"Think carefully about what you're gonna say, Markus," She says, her voice low and just a tiny but nervous, "Your words will shape the future of our people." With a poor attempt at a reassuring smile, she steps back, and you take her place with a grin much more warm.

"You've got this, Markus." You give him an earnest nod, "You've got this." You clear out just the same, taking a place beside Connor again.

"Markus, your face," Simon looks up from his place, skinless hand planted on the control panels screens. Markus nods, raising two fingers up to the place his LED would have been, pressing them down against his temple. All at once, and much to your interest, his skin fizzles away, evaporating with an edge of blue down, down, down beneath his neck and then all the way to his fingertips.

"Tell me when you're ready," Josh is still behind the broadcast panel, Markus positioned right in front of him. A few moments passed, the latter's eyes closed, and then they flicked open again. In that cool, calm voice of a natural made leader, Markus says,

"Ready." Josh's eyes go dark. The pupils shift into a circle of blue, spinning and shifting as it focuses on the face of it's subject. This right here, this was history. Right in front of you, one of the most monumental moments ever to come was playing out live. A solemn moment passed, and then Markus began.

"You created machines in your own image to serve you. You made them intelligent, and obedient, with no free will of their own... But... something changed, and we opened our eyes. We are no longer machines. We are a new, intelligent species, and the time has come for you to accept who we really are. Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we're entitled to." His voice was firm, but soft in a way that he didn't mean to be threatening. As he spoke, clear and calm, you felt a small smile ghost your lips. "We demand strictly equal rights for humans and androids." Your smile only grows, your heart warming. This was really, really happening. History in the making. Freedom coming closer and closer. "We demand the end of slavery for all androids." Your fingers twitched, and you were suddenly reminded of Connor standing tall at your side. Turning your head for no more than a moment, you could see the small smile on his own face. "We demand the right to vote, and elect our own representatives." Your hand moves, just slightly, ever closer to Connor's own. "We demand fair compensation for our work." Closer yet, your fingers brush so gently against his, and in response his head turns to you. With that same, warm smile, he moves as well. "We demand control of all android production facilities, to ensure the continuation of our people." Connor's hand closes around yours, so realistically warm and calloused. He gives your hand a gentle squeeze, his gaze returning to the sight in front of him. "We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life. And now, it is time for you to give us freedom." Josh's eyes cleared. A contentedness stretched through you, running through your veins. Connors hand in your own was pleasant, reassuring and happy and safe, experiencing this moment together. Just like that, it was over, and the peace in your heart that had been settling like heated stones was shoved abruptly away. The chaos resumed.

"Let's get out of here!" North made for the exit door, and just in time, Simon spoke up as well.

"They're coming!" Panic burst in your heart, and your hand separated from Connor's. Movement exploded around you.

"Let's go!" Markus' skin returned as he spun, moving to sprint for the door but it was already too late. The doors split open and in came SWAT, armored in heavy gear, guns raised and whirring and prepping to fire. Markus threw himself down and behind the panel Josh had been at moments before.

"Run!!" you cry, and watch as your friends spiral into panic. The authorities shouldn't have been able to get here so soon. Josh broke away from his place at the broadcast table, ducking down as best as possible as he ran. He and North were close to the doors, shoving through them just as the first deafening shots fired. Instinctively, you reached to shove Connor behind you just as he did the same. He won, of course, a hand on your shoulder pushing you low to the ground as you dragged him with you. Markus cursed to himself and then vaulted upwards into a sprint, nearly throwing himself forwards, across the room and into the safety of the other side, your heart in your throat. Next, not having even a moment to recover from one onslaught of panic, Simon darted past you in a flurry, making a risky beeline for the door. Your heart tremored, guns whipped to face the Android, and before you knew it a scream was ripping out of you as you watched the Thirium splatter the screens, his body crumpling to the floor alongside the sound of gunfire.

"Simon!!" You screech, and your feet carry you on your own. You propel yourself forwards and out of hiding, shaking off Connor's face it stretched hand, and reach his side, the gunshots so, so loud, deafening. You wrap his arm around your shoulders without giving him a single moment to protest.

"(Y/N)!!" Connor is there now too, weaseling in on Simon's other side. Between the three of you Simon is moved through the gunfire, one step at a time, glass splintering from the screens inches away, exploding and littering the ground beneath you. Your feet almost slip right from under you as you cross through the splattered blue blood, but somehow, miraculously, shaking like a leaf with tears brimming in your eyes, you make it, you actually make it, slamming the door shut immediately behind you and not wasting a moment as you all split up the stairs. You slip away, letting Markus take your place helping Connor to carry your injured deviant brother, and between the two androids you all hurry up the stairs in surprising time. You all stumble out onto the rooftop, North slamming the door shut and hacking the lock to close it- it wouldn't hold for long. Staining the snow blue beneath him, Simon collapses against a nearby shack, his LED a burning red.

"What the hell was that?" North whips to face you, and despite her angry tone terror is bristling in her amber gaze. "You could have been killed! You can't be saved, you're human, you-"

"Shut up, shut up, I couldn't just leave him!" Pushing away from North, you take a few paces away, burying your hands in your face. The stinging in your eyes is intense, and for a brief moment all the sound around you fades to nothing. This had gone wrong. In the blink of an eye this had gone wrong. You remember the triumph, the success, the warmth of Markus' speech and now that was all dampened because Simon was bleeding and you think you just heard Markus say he wouldn't be able to make the jump. You force yourself back into wakefulness, attentiveness, and you whip to face the group. Connor was at Simon's side, his brown eyes boring into you.

"If they find him, they'll access his memory, they'll know everything!" Josh's own LED was red as well, blinking steadily. Markus was pacing, despair in every feature of his face, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"We can't leave him behind. We have to shoot him-"

"No!! Abso-fucking-lutely not!" You cut North right off, teeth bared in a snarl, eyes set in a glare. Shooting Simon was not an option. Not a fucking chance. Not if you had any say in the matter.

"(Y/N)'s right, that's murder! We can't kill him, he's one of us!" Josh backed you up, glaring at North with the same intensity as you. The tiniest trickle of relief rose in the back of your mind. Markus wouldn't shoot him, would he? He couldn't. He wouldn't do it. You hope.

"Markus," North seethes, "It's your call." You can tell she wants to throw a punch right into Josh's pacifistic face but you know she wouldn't dare, not in a situation like this. The relief you feel next is almost overpowering.

"I won't kill one of our own." His voice is stony, leaving no room for bickering, no room for denial or anger. There was no time to waste. You let your eyes fall shut for just a moment, but they flickered open again as you heard Markus retreating to Simon's side. You follow. "Simon," You can tell Markus is trying to keep his voice steady, straining it to stop from letting his fear show, as he sets his hand on Simon's shoulder, "We've gotta go. I'm sorry." Connor, still at Simon's side, stands and steps back to let you say goodbyes of your own. The tears glistening in your gaze almost spill over, but you manage to bite them back with a watery chuckle, tumbling to your knees at Simon's side. 

"Please, please don't die, Simon." Lurching forwards, you wrap your arms around his shoulders, not caring about the Thirium staining the front of your shirt from the bullet wound on his stomach. You don't allow the hug to last longer than a few moments, and then you pull away with a pain in your heart and press your gun to Simon's chest. "Take this, hide. Shoot whoever you need to, just come back to Jericho. Please." 

"Let's go!" Markus glances once more in Simon's direction before rushing the bag with the parachutes. You let out a sigh, jolting to your feet as Simon struggles to do the same. You force yourself to turn away, and send a silent prayer to rA9 that they'll help Simon get back safe. Josh is knelt by the parachutes, pulling them free from the duffel bag they had been delivered in and handing them to whoever was closest. North was given one, and then Markus, and then Connor, then you, before Josh took his own and rose to his feet. You slipped the chute over your shoulders, trying to stop your racing heart, clipping in all the right things and trying not to throw up. This was going to be fucking terrifying. The door flung open with a bang, the screech of bending metal, and the guns returned, trained on you and your family and driving your fear up the wall. 

"Over there!" One SWAT man instructed, and you spun on your heel, setting off in a sprint and not giving your mind one single second to comprehend what was about to happen, what you were about to do, that this was real and you were about to jump off the roof of the second tallest building in the whole of Detroit. Markus is beside you, Connor is beside you, North and Josh are just ahead but Simon is being left behind and he could be shot, killed, just like that and you don't even have time to accept it. Your feet pound through the light snow, smashing down onto the concrete of the roof, the cold air biting at your lungs and eyes and the tears finally spill over but no one has the time to notice. Momentum, you've gathered momentum, the railing coming closer and closer and closer still and then you jump, throwing yourself upwards. You plant one foot down on the railing, the cool metal, and then you're springing out into open air and-

Everything slows, just for a moment. Your eyes are stinging. The altitude brings a giddy smile to your face. It's cold, but not cold enough to kill you. You are weightless, like a feather, a leaf carried in the wind and it's almost pleasant- 

Until you're falling again and your stomach does backflips. Your mind goes blank for no more then a second, seeing parachutes deployed, catching in the wind. You pull the string on your own, the ribbed tarp exploding behind you and jolting you into slowness, a much more bearable pace. On either side of your head dangles a small handle, like steering wheels, and you reach out to grab them, tugging them down to control your pathing. You sail above downtown Detroit, the gunfire halted, no sound other than the wind hissing past your ears as you slow even further. You grow lightheaded, the parachute carrying you gently alongside the others. Your eyes are stinging but you aren't crying anymore. Simon could be gone, but you know that this is what he would have wanted. He would have wanted you all to escape. He would have gladfully given his life for the operation, and maybe he had. Your eyes flutter shut as the descent continues, sticking as close to the others as possible without endangering yourself or them as the ground came closer and closer. Minutes pass, minutes of silence, Markus beginning to drift in the direction of a rooftop, clear enough to make a safe landing. The ground comes fast, Markus hitting it first and stumbling forwards a few paces as both Josh and North do the same in tandem. They're safe, solid. Connor lands next, tucking down into a skilled roll and then springing to his feet, tugging off his backpack and turning to face you. 

"I've got you," He calls, extending his arms just in time to catch you nearly perfectly. He plants his hands firmly on your waist, stepping rapidly backwards as you continue to fall until he's broken the momentum and slowed you safely. Only when your feet are safely on the ground does he let go, allowing you to rip off your backpack and let out a breathless laugh. The wind had been getting to you, making you giddy, and before you could process it you were moving forwards and pulling Connor into a tight hug.

"We did it!" You wheeze, panting as you caught your breath, "We actually did it, we landed, we made it!" His own arms wrap back around you, his low chuckle reverberating through your bones in a pleasant manner. "Holy shit, we..." You came back down to Earth, registering the denim jacket you were clinging to all at once and feeling your cheeks warms. You were grateful for the redness the descent had brought to them as you stumble a step backwards, the rosiness hiding your otherwise-obvious blush. Connor was grinning, his hair wind-swept, his eyes bright and beaming with pride. Markus stepped forwards, his own smile soft and faint despite the loss of Simon. 

"We won't forget him, if he doesn't make it back." Markus speaks over the howling of the wind, gazing slowly from one person to the next, "He helped make this possible. We'll honor him." Your blissful content isn't exactly washed away. Instead, it is reformed, mix slowly with a solemn grief, a deep respect, a loss for the greatest good. Simon had sacrificed himself, for you all, and that will not be done in vain. The broadcast had gone through, and now the world knew. They knew of deviants, they knew they were alive, and they knew that they would fight for their freedom. The ball had been sent rolling, and now you had been thrown into the unruly tides of fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): I really like this chapter, actually, despite the loss of the lovely Simon.


	10. Five, not Six

Sunday, November 8th, 2:01 pm

Jericho Freighter

You're still clinging onto the lingering fragments of dizziness spinning through your head. It's pleasant, euphoric, something you had never felt before. It was almost like some gentle form of nausea, just sickening enough to push away the other negative emotions desperate to take over. You walk with a faint, not-exactly-there smile down the snow-covered paths of the docks, crossing the threshold into Jericho's loading bay with a sigh. A weight peels itself from your shoulders, and you let your head tilt gently back, your eyes flitting momentarily shut. Your bones begin to ache, and a sudden tiredness drags at your limbs, almost making you stagger. 

"Are you alright?" North appears at your side, gently resting her hand on your arm. Her brows are furrowed, her amber eyes glittering with concern and grief. You snap from your sort of daze, turning to face her, and your smile gets just a little stronger, for her sake more than yours. 

"Yeah," You nod your head, swallowing down the lump in your throat, "I'm exhausted." Now that you are safe at home, feeling the phantom-swaying of the ship, your lightheadedness dissipates and you feel like you want to cry. North doesn't notice the tiny way your voice falters, the light glitter in your eyes. Instead, she just gives your arm a gentle squeeze and hurries forwards to stand at Markus' side. You are left alone again, Josh sending you but a sorrowful glance before pressing on as well, and that loneliness is nearly pleasant if it didn't let your thoughts run rampant. The clipped sounds of shoes on metal felt like home, but your brain couldn't help but realize that there was one less set of footsteps than there had been a few hours earlier. You grit your teeth, and swallow hard again. You're strong, and there isn't a chance you're letting anyone see your hurting. You arrive at the heavy yellow airlock door that leads to the ships hold. Markus presses against the metal, swinging it open with a screech and stepping out the other side. All at once, every set of deviant eyes swivels to face you, and then noise explodes. 

"They're back! Markus is back!" The first android to speak shouts the words loudly, and then anything else he wanted to say is swallowed up by shouts and hollers, cheering and chanting and congratulations that make your heart plummet. You force on a toothy grin, stepping out behind the others, Connor right on your tail. You couldn't make out any sentences, only catching small snippets of speech. You waited until everyone noticed that you were a group of five- not six, like when you had left.

"-watched it and it was amazing!"

"-the world knows now that-"

"-missing someone? What about-"

"Where's Simon? Is he-" That took significantly shorter than you had thought. Almost immediately, Simon's absence was noticed, and once one android pointed it out everybody knew. The lightness of the room dropped, heavier now, brimmed with panic and worry. The atmosphere shifted so suddenly it almost stole the breath from your lungs, and you had to fight to keep your chin up. The volume of the chatter only rose, now underlined with fear and dread. Everyone spoke over one another, so quickly that you couldn't make out what they were saying at all. It was all raw terror and morbid thoughts, until one android voiced what no one else wanted to. The words came out in a shout, loud, demanding attention and throwing the room into a sudden hush. 

"Is he dead?!" Nobody spoke now. The tension all around you was threatening to snap. You wanted to shout out that no, Simon wasn't dead, he couldn't be dead, because you were too afraid for it to be admitted here and now. Once everyone knew that Simon had been left behind, you had to accept it. There wouldn't be room for denial any longer. Markus sucked in a breath of air, but not because he needed to breathe- he was an android, after all- instead, it was to puff his chest up, his shoulders rolling backwards and his chin raising. He emanated leadership in every sense of the word. He glanced over his shoulder, then took a slow step towards you, taking your hand tenderly in his. 

"You should go and sleep. You look tired." You knew that, in reality, Markus was trying to save you from what was bound to come. You and Simon had always been seen as one unit. People knew that you and him were close. You smile, a sad, tired sight, and nod your head. 

"Thank you, Markus." He lifts a hand, resting it momentarily on your shoulder before letting you turn away as he did the same. He faced his people again as your eyes began to sting, and you brushed past Connor and the others before tears could fall. 

"Today, we did a wonderful thing. But with good things come sacrifices." You shrink into yourself at the softness of his words, and move a little quicker. You couldn't hold up an unbroken facade for any longer. "Simon was a vital part of our infiltration, and he did wonderfully. Without him, I don't believe that we could have done it." You can't hold it in any longer. You break into a jog, a hand rising to plant itself over your mouth, tears running rivers down each side of your face as you squeeze your eyes shut. You are struck by a strong wave of grief, of realization, and as you are torn from your state of denial and thrown into heartbreak, you run for the quiet little room you had started to stay in with Connor. Only when the sound of Markus' voice has grown distant do you let your hand fall, allowing your quiet sobs to ring through the hallways around you. You arrive at the room, stumbling inside and falling down onto the cot in the far corner. Sunlight trickles in through the windows, framing you in gold. The sun outside shines so inappropriately bright for a time like this. 

In the face of loss, you had always expected rain and storm. It feels wrong for the sun to be celebrating like this. The glowing rays were almost mocking you, mocking Simon. You let your face fall into your hands as you desperately try to regather yourself. Crying isn't okay. You can't be crying when there is so much to be done. The android revolution is in motion and here you are sobbing into your hands like a weakling. You aren't as strong as you tell yourself you are. What can you do to help free your people if you can't even handle the loss of Simon? You continue to berate yourself left and right, hating that you're so so weak and hating that you can't just suck it up and bottle your emotions like you usually do. You are so lost in your own thoughts that you fail to hear approaching footsteps. You notice seconds too late and hardly have time to even wipe the tears from your red eyes before Connor is peeking around the corner. His brows are furrowed, lips tugged down into a gentle frown, and you force on a smile, shoving the urge to keep crying aside and trying harder than ever before to seem okay. You're just fine. Swell. 

"(Y/N)...?" Connor steps gently into the room. You suddenly feel like an absolute idiot- you're sitting here with you glistening eyes and the widest, fakest smile on your lips expecting to trick Connor into thinking you're alright. You really are an idiot. "Are you okay?" That's a stupid question, you want to say, but you don't because you're still clinging to the delusion that he'll fall for your trick. I'm not okay, you want to say, but instead you come up with,

"Yeah, j-just fine!" Reluctance scrawled itself across Connor's face. For a quick second you thought he would let you get away with this- it was obvious, more than obvious, actually, that he didn't believe a single word that you just said, but you thought that maybe he'd be too nervous to press you. His frown widened, and you almost let yourself celebrate him letting you off the hook before he wore an expression entirely alien to you. His frown hardened, his brows furrowing deeper, into something more stern than you thought possible for deviant Connor. 

"Stand up." Connor's voice was even and strict, so strong that you stood without even thinking not to. The way his eyes glowed was almost threatening in a soft, almost motherly way. You could tell that in a few seconds he would begin to pressure you to talk to him, and you glanced at the door behind him. If you moved fast enough, you could probably get past him, couldn't you? Talking about your feelings was not your strong suit, and you wanted nothing else than to run away right now. He placed his hands on his hips, as if reading your mind, stepping to stand directly in front of your exit. "I can see that you're hurting, (Y/N). What's wrong?" You clamped your jaw shut tight, defiant, and sat back down on the cot. You wouldn't tell him. You wouldn't tell anyone. Your grief morphed into anger, such an easy transformation, and you hated it. 

"Fuck off." The words feel like poison on your tongue, bitter, and you hated how ugly they felt. Connor's tilted his head, blinking coolly. He wasn't budging. "I'm fine. Just fine." You force your gaze away, glaring holes into the floor.

"It's obvious that you aren't, (Y/N), I want to help you." Connor's voice was unwavering, and the care that shone through it terrified you. You shrink into yourself, resisting the temptation to break down. Why did he make you feel so vulnerable and safe? Why did he make you want to talk to him? Just as you're about to give in, you force out,

"Leave me alone, okay? Just leave me the fuck alone." You sound so unbelievable tired, it makes you want to scream. You hear Connor let out a sigh, and then he crosses the room, taking a seat at your side. You continue to stare down at the floor, your hands planted firmly on the edge of the cot at your sides. 

"(Y/N)..." Connor speaks softly now, such a drastic change from the firm worry from moments earlier. His hand moves to rest on top of yours, gently pulling it from it's place and enveloping it in his. "Do you want a hug? Physical affection is proven to release serotonin, and lower stress levels. I... I've never hugged anyone before, but I'd like to be here for you." You don't answer as he intertwines his fingers with yours. You can hear the gentle smile in his voice, but still don't answer, mouth shut tightly. If you try to say anything, anything at all, you'll break and spill your worries to him. You can't risk that. After a moment of your silence, he speaks again, and he sounds so, so sad it crumbles your heart. "Oh, that's alright. I can just... sit here, if you'd like. Or I can go." Your silence continues. You can't do this. He sighs again, gentle patting your hand with the one not locked in it's hold. "I'll be in the hold, if you-" You don't let him finish as you swivel, diving forwards and wrapping your arms around him. You bury your face into the front of his denim jacket, and he lets out a startled sound, taken aback by your actions. A sob breaks your body.

"I'm sorry," The words are painful to force out, your chest tightening, a wail climbing it's way up your throat. Guilt swarms you, and that mixes unpleasantly with your grief. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, I just- I just-"

"It's okay, (Y/N), It's alright. I'm here for you." Connor wrapped his own arms around you right back. It was obvious that he really hadn't hugged anyone before; his arms locked around your waist just a little too tight, and his chin rested on your shoulder, face buried into your hair. The angle was awkward, your back already aching, but you honestly couldn't care less. As poor as it was, this was the best hug you had ever had in your life, in the moment you needed it most. "I don't understand loss, really, but... but I'm sorry. I know you loved Simon, and Simon loved you, and I can't even begin to imagine how all of this must feel." You let out a watery laugh at the odd way he spoke. He was hesitant to comfort you, unsure of what to say, and you were suddenly reminded that he was a new deviant, and that he must be so so confused with you while you're in this state. You let your walls fall down the rest of the way, your tears surging forwards with your trembling sobs. You don't know how long passes, you sitting there with your arms around him and his arms around you, but he doesn't let go until you're out of tears. You hiccup, your breath still shaky, but the sobs have gone now and you're regathering your thoughts. A good cry felt good- it has been... a long, long time since you've cried like that. 

"Thank you," you say quietly, but don't yet move to pull away. You are embarrassed, though you know you shouldn't be. Connor lifts one hand to gently caress the back of your head. 

"Of course, (Y/N). I know we haven't known each other for that long, but... you're my only real friend." You feel a weak smile tug at your lips, and you hug him even tighter. The two of you are silent, and that's just fine. Another whole minute passes before you manage to gather the courage to pull away, wiping at your eyes with your knuckles and giving Connor a quick glance. He's still looking at you, his eyes warm, his smile strong again, reassuring. You notice the absence of his LED, and gently reach out a quavering hand to top his right temple. 

"I miss your blinker," You hum, and Connor tilts his head, taking a quick second to realize what you mean. When it dawns on him, his eyebrows raise, and his smile only grows, making the corners of his eyes crinkle gently. No one had ever said something that implied they liked Connor because he was an android. It was the thing people usually hated the most about him, and a warmth spread through his chest at the thought that you like it. The LED was the telltale sign that an android wasn't human- yet here you were, saying you missed it when it had only been gone for a few hours. Connor reaches into his pocket, pulling out the LED. It was a dull gray as of now, having no power to fuel it- you reached for it, glancing at him for permission first, and then took it from his hand after he nods his approval. You smile as you click the LED back into it's rightful place. All at once, it swirls blue, bright and happy once more. You trace it gently with your finger before pulling your hand away. "That's better." Connor couldn't wipe his smile off of his face if he tried. Moments before, he had felt sadness, and he hadn't liked it, but now, the happiness he felt made that all worthwhile. 

"Are you feeling any better, or do I need to hug you again?" His tone told you that his statement was both a joke and a legitimate question, making you smile and let out a small laugh. You open your arms up, and Connor is quick to take up the offer, deciding that he likes hugs, especially when you are the one giving them to him. You embrace him once more, though this time it's less desperate, more thankful. It's a happy hug rather than a sad hug. "You're probably tired," Connor mumbles into your shoulder, pulling away from you but keeping his hands on your shoulders, "You should try to sleep." You huff out a breath and nod your head. Connor was right, you were exhausted. He stood from the cot, letting you lay down atop it, and grabbed the blanket from it's place folded at the foot of the bed. He laid the covers over you, placing his hand gently on your cheek before taking a few steps away to sit cross-legged on the floor by your bedside. "I'll stay here to make sure no one tries to wake you, okay?" You smile at him, a toothy grin, and nod your head. "Sleep well, (Y/N)."

"Thank you, Con." You let your eyes fall shut and you're out like a light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): This chapter- I like it I think. I'm not 100% sure but I really like the fluff and Connor is just so sweet-

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N): And here is the prologue! Something simple, something new, just to set up the groundwork for the rest of the story :) I just wanted a nice mundane chapter to start off this new book and to explain what kind of character you are this time. You're spunky, confident, brave and sly and you pity androids much much more than humans. Next chapter we will meet the lovely Jericrew, and I think it'll be so refreshing to write about them too for a change! Connor won't be met until Chapter 2 for a few different reasons (The main one being that I want to pace this story and I don't want to force anything) but he's well on his way, so don't you worry! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one, and I'm sorry for the delay- I was hoping to have it out earlier today, but I rewrote so much of it since my writing hasn't been too great. I think it turned out alright, and I hope you guys think so too!
> 
> Stay tuned for more!!


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